Love, rejection, and a disappearance
by shadizsato
Summary: After they were trapped on Tenrou Island for seven years Natsu realizes that he has spent enough time letting things go slowly between himself and the love of his life. When he confesses his love to her, will he get his feelings returned to him or will she shut him out? Will he be able to live with the pain, or will he find love in another? Rated M for future Lemons!
1. Confession and Rejection

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

**February X791**

Looking into the mirror Natsu couldn't help but sigh. The feelings he felt for her were no stronger than they had ever been, yet they clouded his mind with persistently. He could not get her out of his head, the near death experience they had just gotten through backing up his decision. If they were getting a second chance, he would have to live with no regrets; he would have to make her realize his feelings for her once and for all.

How could he though, the fear that she would reject him would always be there. He could deal with the fact that she did not feel the same way, as long as he could stay around her. As long as she knew about his feelings for her and did not shut him out completely, he could deal with that.

Shaking himself, he quickly splashed water onto his face inside the Guild's bathroom to snap him out of the mood he was in. As he stepped out of the restroom he looked around the guild, the homecoming party still ensuing, as it had been for the past week. Cheering loudly and thrusting his hands into the air he made his way over to the bar, taking an open seat before calling out to Mirajane, "Two fire whiskey shots!"

Mira casually flipped her white hair over her shoulder with a laugh before bringing over Natsu's shots, leaning on the bar in front of him while he took the shots. "Ne, Mira." Natsu said after he downed the shots, "Have you seen Lucy?" Mirajane perked up upon his question, smiling sweetly, "Got something to confess to her?" She asked teasingly, hoping for a reaction out of the salmon-haired Dragon Slayer. But, she didn't get what she had hoped for as he simply smiled to himself staring off into the crowd of people, searching intently for the blonde. "Is it that obvious?" He asked in a near whisper, barely loud enough for Mirajane to hear.

Before she had a chance to gasp at his statement, Natsu caught the familiar scent of vanilla that caused his heart to race. The sounds around him seemed to drown out as he stood up and pushed his way through the crowd. Subconsciously he heard the white haired barmaid say something, but he already had his sights on his target. His mouth spread into his large signature grin as he called out to her over the crowd.

Lucy turned in time to see him walk towards her and smiled back, shifting the celestial dog in her arms as not to drop him. She could see that he had changed since coming back from the island, but then again, they all had. The Guild had never been closer than they were at that moment, everyone was simply happy to be alive and together. Reality came flooding back to her as Natsu grabbed her hand and began to pull her with him back out the door she had just come through. "Natsu?" She asked confused.

Natsu looked back over his shoulder at her and simply smiled and pulled her along once more. "Just come on for a moment, I have something to say." While his exterior appeared to be calm and easygoing, he fought his racing heart with every breath he took. Every step further only hindered his actions, his breathing getting caught in this throat every few moments.

The dark sky met them as he pulled them outside and a small distance away from the guild. The scent of her filled his senses, overloading his racing heart. When they stopped, he put his back to a tree and slid down, looking up at the stars in the sky. He didn't have to look over at her to see the confusion on her face. Minutes passed as she sighed and sat next to him, looking up as well. Feeling his eyes on her, she rolled her head to the side and smiled at him. "We really haven't had any time to ourselves since we got back from the island have we?" She asked as her hand subconsciously rubbed over Plue's head. "It feels like nothing will go back to the way it was before we disappeared for seven years…"

"What if I told you that I didn't want it to go back to the way things were?" He asked quietly, which was uncharacteristically calm for him. "What if I told you that I never wanted things to be the same again, that I wanted to keep what I know now, to only move forward from here?" His black eyes turned serious for a moment, staring deep into her large brown eyes. He felt himself being pulled into them, never wanting to look away. He was beginning to have second thoughts about telling her, though he had already gone this far, he couldn't turn back now. "I need to tell you… I don't want to play around anymore; I want you to know how I feel."

Lucy sat there, frozen while she stared deep into his eyes, searching for what he meant. With a laugh, she pushed his shoulder and shook her head. "For a minute there I thought you were going to confess to me." She said closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the tree. 'Like he could ever have any feelings for anyone more than his nakama.' She thought to herself. 'He is too naïve to even have any idea what any other feelings are.' All was well though, she had come to the realization that he would never care for her in that way and had long ago abandoned such feelings for him, simply accepting the friendship that they had together.

That was before he grabbed her shoulders and turned her towards him roughly, causing her eyes to flash open to look back at him, his eyes piercing into hers. She opened her mouth to ask him what the matter was and found that she didn't have the words to say it, seeing the serious look in his eyes. "Natsu…?" She asked quietly. He couldn't hold it back anymore, he had to say something, and before he knew it, the words were out of his mouth. "I want to be more than friends… I want to mean more to you than that."

Lucy saw how much it had meant to him to say such a thing, but couldn't bring herself to say anything for a time, simply breaking eye contact from him and pulling herself away from his hands. "I used to hope to hear those words from you… And while it makes me happy to hear them from you, I can't say I feel the same way anymore…" She said quietly. Her heart broke to say it to him, but she had spent long enough waiting for him to reciprocate her feelings for him that she had given up and they had faded away.

Needless to say, Natsu was stunned. He had prepared to hear the worst from her, but this was more than he could have prepared for, and worse than he could have imagined as well. "I'm sorry." She whispered quietly before standing up and quickly walking back to the Guild, leaving Natsu sitting there alone in the moonlight.

He couldn't say for how long he sat there, simply staring off into space while replaying her words over and over in his head. None of it made sense, when had he missed the signs, how could he not have noticed her feelings. He couldn't just sit there and feel sorry for himself, he needed to go and talk to her. He needed to convey how much he needed her, how much he cared for her. Hopefully, just hopefully she would realize her feelings and come to her senses. Nothing could be buried forever, right?

It wasn't long before Natsu made his way back to the guild, stepping into a brawl as soon as the doors opened. Had he not been in the mood he was in, he would have joined in a heartbeat. But, he couldn't have fun, not when he could be this close to losing both the love of his life and his best friend.

Lucy sat down at the bar, feeling defeated. Why did he have to go and mess things up, why did he have to have feelings for her now of all times. She wanted to return his feelings, wanted to tell him how much she loved him, how much she needed him to be there for her, to be there with her. But she had given up on that a long time ago, long before they had gotten stuck on the island. She heard rather than saw Mirajane come bouncing up in front of her with a giggle. "So, have you had a chance to see Natsu? Did he confess his undying love for you?" The take-over mage asked with a smile. Lucy looked up and sighed, "Don't encourage him Mira. I told you before; I can't feel that way about him anymore, I just can't. It hurts too much knowing that I will never be strong enough to stand alongside him." She felt a tear slide down her cheek and stood up. "I'm going home, but please don't tell Natsu if he asks…" She didn't wait for Mirajane to say anything before she pushed her way out of the bustling crowd, staring intently at the floor as she went.

By the time Natsu had come back to the Guild, Lucy was nowhere to be found. He made his way back over to the bar and leaned over on it, "Mira? Has Lucy been here?" He asked as Mira smiled sadly before nodding. "I'm sorry Natsu, but I think she needs time to think about this. Give her some time to roll things around in her head before you start pressing her…" Natsu all but fell into the stool at the bar, staring down at the wood, feeling as if his world was being torn out from under him. "Can I get another shot?" He asked quietly trying to mask his pain.

The next week went by without Lucy showing up at the Guild, and Natsu not going over to her house, trying to give her time to herself and not force the issue. It ate away at him to do so, but he simply let it go in order to preserve what they had together. Then one day Lucy came back to the guild, smiling and chatting away with everyone, everyone except Natsu, whom she clearly avoided. Every time he came close to her, she got up and walked away or simply pretended he wasn't there. It felt easier that way for her, hoping that one day he would see that she wasn't rejecting him, but trying to not feel the pain she had felt for so long when he hadn't understood her feelings. It didn't take long for Natsu to start showing up less and less, taking solo jobs whenever he could so he wouldn't have to see Lucy, or be ignored by her. Mira tried to comfort him whenever he brought her a new job, but she couldn't get through to him, couldn't get him to stay long enough for a simple conversation. At first it was once every couple of days that he came in, then once a week, then he stopped coming at all, simply sending Happy to get him new jobs so he would have less of a chance of feeling the pain he harbored deep inside.

One day after happy had come back with their reward from the latest mission, only to take another out with him, he promptly returned crying. Only a few people noticed the erratic behavior of the Exceed, asking him what had happened, asking if Natsu was going to come by to see them soon. That only made the Exceed cry harder as he flew into Lucy's chest. People started to surround him, prodding about what was wrong, but he couldn't get the words out, couldn't even move from Lucy's lap until he dropped a letter onto the table. Lucy reached for it and opened it, only to find one two words written inside '**I'm sorry.**' After a little while, the blue cat finally calmed down enough to talk, tears still dripping down his eyes. He explained how they had been going on missions and that Natsu would rarely even talk to him before he had come back to find that Natsu was nowhere to be found and only the note set on the door of the house.

**February X793**

No one believed that he would be gone for long that he simply needed to work out a few things alone, but as the weeks turned into months, they couldn't deny that they worried about the Dragon Slayer. On the second year anniversary that he had been gone, Lucy broke down to Mira, crying about how it had been her fault that he left. If only she had told him that she cared for him, that she needed his strength there for her, to protect the Guild, then he would still be around. She tried to fill the void with other men, trying to get that same feeling she had when he was around, but couldn't stay with anyone for more than a few days before she was repulsed at the thought. Eventually she gave up, hoping that one day he would come back and she could prove her love to him, prove that she had been wrong.


	2. The Return

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

**X797**

Two days before the sixth anniversary of Natsu being gone, Mirajane broke down. She had taken it the hardest when he left, never realizing how much the energetic fire breather had meant to her until they didn't have a choice but to think back on what she had. She had known she had feelings for him albeit small, but knew she would never act upon them. Not since her sister had come back from the dead, seeing the love Lisanna felt for Natsu. Natsu never returned her feelings, whether he never realized them, or chose to be seen as ignorant of them for the sake of their friendship, Mira never knew.

Mirajane stood behind the counter, gently washing the same mug she had been cleaning for the past hour as tears started falling down her face. She didn't have to hide her pain, only a few members of the guild were left there at such a late time at night, most having gone home or passed out on the floor. It was almost as if none of the others even remembered he was gone. None except her and Lucy had shown any pain, though the two fought it as hard as they could. When the last of the members left, Lucy went over and hugged Mirajane tightly, apologizing once again for being so blind before leaving the take-over mage alone in the bar.

Mira knelt on the ground and let her silent tears stain the floor in the same places they had the prior years. She didn't know how long she sat there, but she jumped slightly as she felt a strong pair of arms circle around her, pulling her tight against them. She turned in the arms and buried her face into the chest of whoever held her, crying all the harder, needing to be close to someone. She could feel the warmth flooding through the body that held her tightly, comforting her without question. "Ne, Mira…" The man whispered while holding her. "Don't cry… you are far too beautiful for it." Mira shuddered at the sound of the voice.

Mira slowly looked up at whoever was holding her, knowing that the voice sounded familiar but couldn't put a finger on which it was. Her eyes widened as they were met with two black diamonds for eyes and a familiar toothy smile. But the real factor that showed her who it was was the spiky salmon hair of Fairy Tail's very own Fire Dragon Slayer. She couldn't believe her eyes as she reached up to touch Natsu's face, feeling the change the years had done to his features. "No more crying Mira." He stated calmly as she fell into his chest, not daring to believe he was actually there, but relishing in the image of him.

Mira wanted desperately to ask him where he had been, why had he left, and why hadn't he kept in touch for the six years. But she remained silent. She was afraid of the answers she would get. He in turn didn't offer any words, except those of comfort, brushing a soothing hand down her hair. The next thing she knew, she was waking up on the floor behind the bar, alone.

She vividly remembered the previous night, but had a hard time pulling herself together. Was it real, or was he just a part of her imagination. Did she dare question it? She had to shake herself out of her worries. She knew what she had seen, he had to be back.

Not long after she had begun her routine of waking up the guild members on the floor and righting the furniture did others start to show up. All were surprised to see that she had composed herself, instead of being drawn inwards around this time of year as she always had been since Natsu had left. One person in particular took notice of it and walked up to her, brown eyes surrounded by black circles from the nearly sleepless night she had the night before. "Ne Mira…" Lucy called out to her as she got close, her voice hoarse. Lucy wrapped her arms around the mage, simply wanting to be close, whispering to her quietly. "I had a dream he came back last night…" Mira perked up knowing who she was talking about.

"I don't think it was a dream, Lucy." Mirajane said quietly before pulling Lucy over to the bar with her before recounting what she had seen the night prior. Lucy didn't believe her though, voicing her concerns. "You must have dreamt it as I did…" But deep down, Lucy couldn't help but wish it be true.

The rest of the day was uneventful, everyone going about their business. Mira kept her eyes on the door though, waiting for any sign of the boy to come back into their lives. She hoped and prayed to see him come through those doors, but as the day started to come to an end, she knew he wasn't coming. Instead, rain fell, as if to symbolize the return of her pain. She waited until everyone was gone before closing up again, walking home in the rain.

Mira felt as if there were a thousand pairs of eyes watching her from the darkness. She ignored the feeling and kept walking towards her home, where she still lived with her sister Lisanna and her brother Elfman. The closer to her house, the more she could see a figure sitting on her doorstep. The figure was clearly a man, though she could discern little about his features due to the large cloak he wore over his shoulders with the hood covering his face. She didn't slow until she stood in front of the stranger at her door, hoping to just take a chance. He didn't look up at her. Nor did he move when she pushed the hood from his head, revealing his naturally salmon locks.

With a cry, Mira fell against him once again. She felt the warm arms encircle her, warming her from the rain that poured over them. Pulling away from her, he stood up and smiled down at her. "You should go inside; we can't have you catching a cold. Your brother would kill me if he knew I kept you out here." Natsu said with a laugh, picturing Elfman crying out about how it wasn't man to get someone sick. "I just wanted to make sure you would get home safe." He said, putting a hand on her cheek before turning to walk away. She caught his hand to stop him from leaving. "Please… Don't leave yet." She whispered quietly to him. "Come inside, you don't have to run away from us. We want you home."

Nodding slowly, Natsu followed her inside, still holding her hand. They quietly walked back towards her room so as not to wake the other two that lived in the house. Mira shut the door behind them and swiftly walked over to her closet, pulling out a pair of dry pajamas to change into. When she turned around, Natsu had taken his cloak off, giving her a clear picture of what the past six years had done to him. He no longer wore the same simple clothes he once had, opting to cover himself with tight clothes that allowed him more range of movement. The black long-sleeved shirt he wore plastered against his finely developed muscles, from his pectorals down to his abs. the shorts he wore, barely going past his knees were golden in color with black lining. Although his scarf was no longer worn around his neck, but rather around his waist as a sash. It was only then as she watched him did she realize that there was not a drop of water on his body.

Closing his eyes, he slid his back down the wall, simply listening to the sounds of the woman in the room move about. She could feel the heat on her face as she moved into the adjoining bathroom to change her clothes. When she came back out she found him in the same place as when she had left. She kept her eyes on him as she made her way over to the bed before calling over to him. "You don't have to sleep on the floor…" She said meekly, feeling her cheeks redden once again at the words that she was trying to convey. "The bed is big enough for both of us, as long as you stay on your side." She quickly added the last part, hoping not to scare him off.

Her shy demeanor gave Natsu a warm feeling as he nodded and walked over to the bed, shedding his shirt before sitting on the edge of the bed. She slipped into the bed, lying on her back as her heart raced in her chest. Even just a small distance from him she could feel the heat radiating from his body, achingly close to her, but still too far away to be where she wanted him to be. But it was enough to have him back in her life. Minutes drug on silently as she tried to think of any reason she could to get herself to speak to him, but found none and let sleep start to take her over. It wasn't long until she felt the bed move as he rolled over, then gasped as his arm snaked around her waist to pull her back up against him. "Natsu…" She asked as she turned to look over her shoulder at him, seeing him simply asleep. She smiled at the calming look on his face before leaning back into him, simply enjoying his warmth as her tears started to run down her face once more. But she wasn't crying from pain, but from joy at having the Dragon Slayer return to them.

Morning came abruptly when she heard a scream come from her doorway. Mirajane quickly rolled out of bed and looked at the door, startled at the sight she saw. Lisanna stood in the doorway, her hand over her mouth as tears rolled down her face. Hearing a moan come from the bed Mirajane realized the reason behind her sister's behavior. Natsu was just standing up, still missing his shirt. "It's too early to be screaming Lisanna." He said rubbing his eye. He laughed to himself as he felt the younger sister tackle into him, beating against his chest as she cried at the sight of him. "Don't start this Lisanna; I'm not going to be leaving again." He said hugging her gently to him. Smiling down at the girl he pushed her away gently, holding her by the shoulders. "Both of you get ready; I will explain everything when we get to the Guild, no sooner."

Neither of the women moved for a heartbeat, and then it was as if a switch went off in their heads. The two quickly got dressed as Natsu walked out into the main area of the house, dawning on the same shirt he had on the previous night. It was only minutes passed when the women joined him, each grabbing ahold of him, be it by his arm or simply holding his shirt. They had no intention of letting him get away from them this time.

Natsu stepped away from the two women when they reached the main doors to the Guild, kicking them open as he used to. A few eyes turned to see what the commotion what about. Those who saw froze in what they were doing a split second before Natsu stepped inside throwing his hands into the air, "I'm home!" He cried out loudly, catching everyone else's attention causing them to spin towards the open doorway. The room was silent for a split second, only to be broken as Happy screamed and flew to his adopted father, crying loudly. "Natsuuuuuu!" The cat called, hugging tightly to the Dragon slayer. A moment later, everyone started talking at once, all but trampling one another to get to him, asking why he had left, where he had been, and why he hadn't told anyone where he was all this time. Mirajane and Lisanna immediately began to pass around food and mugs of alcohol around as the cries of 'Party!' echoed through the room; though their eyes never strayed too far from the man they had walked in with.

At first it seemed as if nothing had changed, everyone was happy and talking and fighting while they cheered with one another. But Natsu was uncharacteristically withdrawn, or at least compared to the way he had used to be. He wasn't getting into fights and simply laughed along with everyone, never offering any information about his travels until he smelt the same vanilla scent that he had craved for so long behind him. Without losing his smile, he turned to see Lucy standing there, tears in her eyes as she searched his for any hint of what he felt. Her large brown eyes held onto Natsu's black diamonds, but couldn't feel anything out of them. There was no hatred, no pain behind them, but there was indeed a small amount of joy in them. "Natsu…" she whispered before charging and wrapping her arms around him, crying against his chest.

**R & R please!**


	3. Too Much Love

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

Natsu wrapped his arms tightly around the blonde, dipping his head down into the crook of her neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking everything out around them. But the moment was short lived as he forced himself to take a step back from her, his smile growing sad. "I'm sorry to have made you worry, but it pained me more to feel you hate me more than it did to simply leave." His eyes flinched at the memory of her shunning him, refusing to even speak with him.

"Stop making bunny girl cry, flame brain." Natsu heard from a deep voice, causing Natsu to break out into a large grin before looking over his shoulder. "You know as well as I do that her crying hurts me as much as it does her." Natsu retorted, noticing Gajeel standing a hairsbreadth away from Levy. It was common knowledge that the two had a thing for one another, even if the two pretended they didn't.

"Tsk, you don't know what you're talking about. If it was true you would never have left." The Iron Dragon Slayer said irritably. He looked down at Levy, looking down to the symbol on her collarbone, a low growl emanating from his throat, as happened every time he saw it. It enticed feelings towards the small script mage, practically forcing him to admit his primal urges towards her.

Natsu picked up immediately on the reaction and looked where Gajeel had, his mouth falling open as he spun and pointed at the two. "You claimed her!" He cried out loudly in disbelief, causing Levy to blush brightly. Natsu pulled himself together and began to laugh, his head thrown back. That was of course before Gajeel smashed him in the face with his iron fist. Before anyone knew it, the guild had been thrown into another brawl. Lucy withdrew herself from the action and went over to sit by the wall next to Levy to ask what Natsu was talking about.

"What did Natsu mean when he said Gajeel claimed you?" She asked bluntly, leaning against the wall next to the short blue haired girl. Levy blushed even brighter, her words coming out in little more than a squeak. "W-well you see… Dragon's only mate with one person… A-and w-well…" Levy's words died out momentarily, but it was enough for Lucy to get the idea. The Celestial mage turned and looked out at the fight, watching Natsu's body move fluidly between his guild mates while she processed what this could have meant for the two of them. "Does that mean you two are going to get married?"

Levy giggled gently, touching the symbol tenderly. "No… not by the usual means anyways. This is deeper than that, for the best and worst reasons… Such as I know he can never be with another and I could never be with another. The magic prevents us from feeling any sort of feelings for any other being. Whether I wanted to or not, Gajeel will be the only man in my life." Her smile split across her face and she looked over at Lucy, "But I wouldn't have it any other way. Through the mark I can feel his presence, even before I can see him… But it has me worried about what he said about Natsu and you… Natsu shouldn't be able to feel your pain unless he marked you. But the way he is acting is as if he already had."

Lucy squeaked and blushed, shaking her head in response. "N-no… Natsu and I have never been that way… You know as well as anyone what happened between us." Her voice was low, remembering the time when she had turned him down, effectively leading to his disappearance. "Plus, there is no mark on my body, anywhere. I think I would have noticed something like that appearing on me." Levy and Lucy shared a small smile before they both giggled and turned to watch as the guild's fight started to taper off.

Natsu sighed as he flopped down on the bar, not even bothering to sit on a stool. His rough landing knocked over several mugs and discarded plates. He laughed and closed his eyes, soaking in the sounds and smells of the guild he had missed over the past six years. He could only smile as the years of longing he felt came to a point and suddenly vanished. He was home indeed, and this time he didn't plan on leaving again. He hadn't moved for what seemed like five minutes when he caught the familiar scent of vanilla walking towards him. His brow wrinkled when he smelt the distinct smell of lavender drifting in from another point of the room, growing stronger to indicate it was rapidly approaching. With a deep breath he calmed himself and opened his eyes to watch the two women make their way over to him, both looking as anxious as the other, the two women's eyes darting between one another and the Dragon Slayer.

The two reached him at almost the same time, both standing on either side of him; Lucy standing with her back to the guild hall and Mirajane standing behind the bar. Neither said anything and he sighed again, knowing he needed to say something. "How much do you know about the matings of Dragons?" He said in a calm tone of voice, cutting the silence between all of them. Lucy looked up at Mirajane and then back down at the floor before she spoke. "Levy explained to me that they are stronger than anything you could compare them to, but more animalistic. And that they are for forever and neither can break it."

The words cut through Mirajane like a knife, a sharp gasp being pulled in. "I never knew how strong it was… but I knew that Laxus was kept from the mating, but wasn't kept from his heat…" She explained in a low voice.

Natsu's smile faded from his face and he sat up on the counter, draping a leg on either side as he thought about how to explain it to them. "I met another dragon on my travels…" He started. "That is but the basics of the matter." He looked over at Lucy and smiled gently towards her. "It is true that when a Dragon decides to mate, and claims his mate that neither of them can escape it except through death. But I learned the hard way…" Natsu had to avert his eyes and look up at the ceiling as he continued. "When the mate denies the mark, denies the ability of the Dragon Slayer to continue its lineage, the Dragon takes over and forces the mate to accept the mark so no other person may bring happiness to the refusing mate." His eyes dropped back down to Lucy, breathing her in as he stared deep into her eyes. "Is it true that you have not been able to stand any other man since I left?" He asked bluntly, his voice sounding as if he wanted to die on the spot.

Lucy only nodded, not believing she could trust her voice. Natsu's lips peeled back over his lips and glared down at her, his black eyes piercing through her. "I can feel emotion you have felt for the past six years, and the mark prevents you from caring for another man as you would a lover. But that isn't it…" He said, his voice calming and his eyes growing softer. "While I cannot blame you for your feelings towards me, I searched for another Dragon, any Dragon, to show me how to reverse it. I searched to find a way to let you out of this problem, to let you live your life as you chose on that night."

Turning to look down at Mirajane, who now stood upon shaky legs with a hand over her mouth to prevent her from crying as tears rolled down her cheeks. He reached down and put a gentle hand on her cheek, comforting her, before turning back to Lucy. "And I found it. I can remove the mark from you, or at least mask your side of it. You won't feel any pull towards me, or have any pain from looking upon another man."

Moving off the end of the bar, he rolled to the side Lucy was standing on and slid a gentle hand up her cheek to help her look into his eyes. He knew what she was about to say, her emotions flooding his senses before her mouth even opened, but he let her talk anyways. He needed to hear the words before he continued. "What if I told you I don't want you take away the mark?" Mirajane heard Lucy say shakily. "What if I wanted you to compete it and show me exactly what you wanted those six years ago?"

Mira cried out, her hand dropping from her mouth and dropping her gaze so she could scurry off, thinking she knew that he had what he wanted. As she turned to leave, Natsu spun and locked eyes with hers, effectively forcing her to stay where she was. "I need you here to hear what I am going to say. I need someone I trust to hear this." He said while still holding her eyes on his, waiting until she nodded before turning back to Lucy.

When his eyes came back to the blonde in front of him, he grew sad instead of happy. He didn't want her like this, didn't want her to feel the way she did. "You don't love me, not like you think you do. You forget that I feel everything you do. While I may not feel every _thought_ that goes through your mind, but I can feel the intentions and the need you do. This is guilt that you feel... guilt that you think you made me leave our home because of you. What you don't realize is that you didn't, you bring me more joy than I have a right to, just knowing you are safe." He dropped his hand from her cheek and grabbed her shoulders as he felt more pain ripple through his body. "I love you Lucy, and I always will. But until you find what you really want, it won't be me."

Using his sharp fang, Natsu bit deep into his lip to feel blood drip twin trails down the sides of his mouth, only to roll down his neck. Drawing a finger through it, he wiped it over her collarbone, on the exact same spot where she had seen Levy's mark. She flinched at his touch and tried to summon the words to stop him, but as her mouth opened to speak, he growled and snapped his sharp teeth down on the spot, sucking the blood from her skin, leaving a bite mark instead. When he straightened, his eyes were clouded with pain and his shoulders shook.

Natsu started mumbling something under his breath, but neither of the two women could hear until suddenly Gajeel and Wendy were standing there. Gajeel wrapped his arms around Natsu's shoulders just as the Fire Dragon Slayer started to sweat fire, fire dripping out of his pours. In the same instant Wendy ran a hand over Lucy's bite mark, feeling the extent of what he had done to her. With a gasp, she turned to Gajeel and whispered to him, her eyes wide in disbelief. "It's gone… It's really gone." She said before she saw Gajeel smile. "All male Dragon Slayers are taught how to reverse the effects, though it would seem this idiot had to find someone else to teach him other than his father." His blood red eyes turned to Lucy and nodded to her. "Congratulations, you are now free to do as you please. But I highly recommend you leave… NOW!" He said, yelling the last part, baring his teeth.

This is where Wendy came into play, grabbing the girl and dragging her away, still in disbelief of what she had seen. Lucy fought her every step of the way, trying to get back to the person she wanted to be with, the man she thought she loved. "Natsu…? Natsu…? NATSU!" She cried out towards him as his body struggled against the iron bands Gajeel wrapped around him. Every sound Lucy made, hit Natsu like a rock, effectively drawing the Dragon within him out.

It had been two weeks since Natsu had taken her mark from her, but his pain had only increased. Somehow, they had managed to hold him inside the guild, locking him into the infirmary by Gajeel's steel bands wrapped around his body and Freed's runes. A small grouping of people stood a few yards from the room, watching as Natsu fought against his binds. "It won't hold him much longer unless he takes control over himself." Erza said with a sigh. "Explain to me one more time exactly what he did Gajeel, maybe that will wake me up so I can understand why he would do this."

Gajeel sighed and leaned back against the wall, staring Erza in the eyes once more. "He reversed his mark on her." "And that means?" Erza retorted with. "And that means that he feels everything about Lucy a dozen times more than he has since he marked her originally."

"Then why the hell would he do that?" Lucy snapped, her arms snaked around her middle. "I didn't want him to… Why would he do this knowing it would hurt him so?"

Gajeel laughed and looked over at the girl. "Because the mark was forcing your feelings for him and he knew it. He couldn't force you to love him, so he took it from you. And it will keep bringing him pain until the Dragon decides that he has suffered enough for not bringing another Dragon Slayer of his kind to this world. If Igneel is really gone…" He said quietly. "Fire Dragons will end with Natsu." Turning, the Dragon Slayer walked away, grabbing Levy by the back of her collar and drug her behind him.

Two weeks turned into a month and no one knew what to think of Natsu, it looked like he had calmed down, but every time they tried to let him out, he slammed the door shut. She was all he could smell when the door was open, and it killed him to even think about her. He could already feel the anger she felt at him for doing this to himself, but he refused to do any more against her. They were no longer holding him, but he was not chancing at forcing her mark once again. His mind rounded itself at the thought of his so called mate. He smiled despite everything, he would always know how she felt, if she was safe, and where she was, and it would allow her to love again, to love someone without being forced into it. With a sigh, he stood up and walked out of the room, returning to the guild hall silently, feeling eyes watch him as he went.

He could not let it bother him, so he smiled and looked up at Mirajane, giving her a small knowing wink. "Fire whiskey?" She asked, forcing her usual bubbly personality to come out. When he nodded, she poured him a shot, taking one for herself. After they had both downed the shots, he turned to look around the guild, seeing how everyone had changed. Wendy was no longer a child, but a tall beautiful woman. One in fact, who stood next to Romeo, who had grown into a strong man once the six years had passed. He went around looking at every person around, noticing the differences of each of them in turn. His eyes finally fell upon Lucy, sitting with Erza, Gray, and Juvia off in a corner talking about what kind of job they were going to do.

"Everything okay Natsu?" He heard Mirajane ask from behind him, only realizing he had been staring at the blonde Celestial mage for longer than was proper, and spun around to look back at the white haired mage. "Honestly? No, everything is shit." He said with a sigh, "But I don't know what I would do without everyone here, their love, their presence…"

He didn't move until he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, pulling him back to them. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, breathing in the sweet lavender smell with a smile. "Then let me help you make it better… Let me take your pain." She whispered gently into his ear, feeling the heat radiating from his body pass through her body and stir up every emotion she felt for him.

Turning in his seat, he stared into her eyes, searching for any hint of hesitation in her. "I can only lie with my mate, yet you would still ask me such?" He whispered quietly. "I would take anything and everything you could offer…" She said with a sad smile, "No matter what that entailed, or who your love really belonged to."

Pulling the voluptuous mage tightly to his chest, Natsu leaned close to her ear, whispering softly enough that only she would hear him, not even the other Dragon Slayers in the room. "King's don't follow the same rules as the others. If they did, there would be no reason for a king. Dragon slayers are no different Mira. I am not allowed to mate with one person…" He stopped talking to let everything process for her, hoping she knew what he meant and why he had come to her the first night he had been back. "Royalty has to ensure its line, I will have my heir."

**R & R please!**


	4. Filled to the Brim

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

**Very long chapter here, though a good portion of it is Lemon. My first lemon so feedback is much appreciated.**

Mirajane tucked her face into Natsu's neck, refusing to let go. She had a hard time believing what she was hearing, but could not have hoped for anything other. Unmoving, she simply listened to her own heartbeat slam in her ears. One instant she was preparing herself to love someone that would never love her back and the next she had been given enough hope to last her a lifetime. A chance to prove her worthiness to him, a way for her to prove he was worth more than pain. A slow smile spread across her face as she felt him move, sliding a hand up her back before letting her go.

She let the hand on her shoulder push her back as she looked into his onyx eyes, watching his smile falter. "If I had never taken the mark from Lucy, this could have happened in a better way. I could have explained everything in time, let it all sink in so you could decide on a better note." He said quietly, noticing the eyes of the other two Dragon Slayers watching him, waiting to see how he would react around his previous mate.

"This is the hard part Mira…" He said quietly. "While I will always love you, no matter what happens with your mark…" He stopped talking, unable to bring himself to utter the words. Mira had other thoughts, her heart already set on the one in front of her. When he opened his mouth to continue she cut him off, pressing her lips firmly to his briefly. But, that was all it took for him to lose his train of thought, and suddenly she had pulled back without giving him a chance to kiss her back.

"Stop talking, I don't care what comes with it, I accept any issue that might arise, any complications… As long as I can have you, none of it matters." She claimed as she leaned against him, just wanting to be close to him no matter what it took.

Suddenly she was aware of all of the eyes on the two of them and it hit her, she had kissed him. And everyone in the guild had seen her do it. She looked around, her face flushing quickly as her eyes darted around between those around her until she felt Natsu pull her down into another kiss. It was soft and loving, but she could feel the strength and hunger he held back from their kiss. A small shudder rolled down her spine at the heat that radiated off his lips.

Reality came rolling back when he pulled away and stood up, but her mind hadn't caught up yet.

A resounding laugh pierced through her thoughts before she realized it was coming from the man standing in front of her. His eyes were closed, but you could see the pure joy that was spread across his face, but the tears were the part that confused her. He picked her up in his arms and held her closely, almost squeezing the air out of her. While she understood his happiness and returned it unquestioningly, she still needed to breath and started to pound her fists on his shoulders until he let her down.

From the other side of the room, Lucy sighed to herself. She could only watch what took place knowing she could do nothing to stop him in that moment. Over the past month, she had come to realize just what he was talking about with the mark. Her feelings had started to leave her until they were but a dull memory. Yes she loved him, she would always love him. But she didn't feel the same agonizing feeling that she had when he was gone, didn't feel the same rush that she had felt when she had seen him for the first time after six years. She loved him, but it wasn't a kind of love that she would have devoted to him for life. But she couldn't help but miss the feeling of completeness she had felt being around him. Maybe one day she could grow to have those feelings for him again, but of her own accord this time.

At least that was before she had seen Natsu kiss Mirajane. Which brought up another question, how in the hell could he have kissed her since Lucy was supposed to be his one and only? She brought her eyes up to scan the room until she met them with the back of Gajeel's head and she tried to act casually as she strolled over to him. Plopping down next to the script mage and looking over at the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Ne… Gajeel…" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm. "What is going on over there? I thought you said he would remain attached…" She left the rest unsaid; knowing he understood what she was trying to say.

"He can't." Gajeel stated matter-of-factly.

"B-but-" She started to say, but was cut off quickly by Gajeel slamming his fist on the table, glaring daggers at the back of Natsu's head. "No buts, he CAN'T. We mate ONCE and are meant to mate ONLY ONCE!" He said, his voice growing louder with every word.

Natsu's laugh stopped abruptly and he looked over at the trio talking about him. His eyes met Gajeel's, appearing to command his silence. The look in his black eyes hollowed, pain being brought to the front of them, showing Gajeel that he not only asked for his silence on the matter, but demanded it as a fellow Dragon Slayer. With a sigh, Gajeel dropped his eyes, understanding the pain that he would have felt in that situation if Levy had denied him.

As it had seemed that the matter was settled, Natsu laid his head on the counter and closed his eyes, relishing in the new found strength he had. He had love, and it wasn't forced. After the Dragon had informed him of his ancestry and the perks and downfalls of the situation he was in, desire had rolled through him. He couldn't choose who the Dragon inside of him chose for itself, but he could influence it. That knowledge made him look at everything differently, but it didn't diminish the feelings he had for either of the two women.

As he thought about Mira, he listened to the unique sounds of her footsteps as she walked back around the counter, continuing along with her duties with a small smile. Every time she saw the man lying against the bar, her heart jumped. Had it been this strong just a week ago, even an hour ago before she had realized her chance with him. Before long, she realized that Natsu had fallen asleep. Seeing as she hadn't been busy, she leaned on the counter and ran her hand through his hair and found herself content to watch him.

In the late hours of the night, Mira smiled and waved to the last few guild members leaving so that only her and Natsu remained. As she turned to wake him up from his slumber, she saw his eyes looking at her, watching her every move as if his life depended on it, as if her life depended on it. She couldn't help but blush at the intensity of his black eyes, at the hunger that was held behind them. Deciding to tease him, she bit her lower lip and met his gaze while walking over to him, swaying her hips as she made her way over. Reaching him, she leaned towards him, laying a hand on his chest to prop herself up as her lips met his, barely brushing them as she felt a smile break across his face. She squeaked softly as his hand reached around to the small of her back and pulled her closer, enough that their lips pressed together. She couldn't stop the moan that spread through her as she savored the feeling of him.

Putting a little pressure into the hand on his chest, she tried to pull away and he let her go. Their eyes met and she knew what he felt for her was nothing like what others had told her, nothing like the confessions that she received constantly from her fans, from her past lovers. He didn't want her just because of who she was, or how she looked. The look in his eyes said he wanted her and accepted everything that came with it. Her heart swelled with just that simple look, making her heart race with longing to be close to him.

Pushing into him, she pressed her lips back to his. This kiss wasn't like the previous one, it wanted everything he had to give her. The further she pressed, trying to get closer, the more and more she crawled up him, trying to gain more access. Just as her right hand snaked into his hair, she felt their worlds turn upside down. She only broke the kiss when she realized that she had indeed pushed him off the barstool.

Natsu's breath rushed out of his lungs as he landed heavily on the floor, his back slamming into the hardwood below them. Mira landed on top of him, staring down into his eyes when she felt a giggle escape her lips. Both of them started to laugh as they realized how much they had been trying to invade one another without realizing exactly where they were. Natsu took advantage of the moment and rolled them over so that he was on top of her, his hands on either side of her shoulders, one leg lying between hers while the other remained on the outside so he could prop himself up as to not crush her with his body.

She barely waited until he had control of himself before she pulled him down with her right hand to force her lips against his. He responded instantaneously and pressed his lips against hers almost bruising her lips. She ran her tongue over his bottom lip asking for entry. He jumped slightly but melted into her, opening his mouth to meet her tongue with his own. It was true that he had no idea what he was doing, the only time he had kissed another person had fallen down to a mere accident, when he had caught Lucy as she fell out of a tower. He instantly threw the thought away and focused on the woman that was lying underneath him.

**Lemon ahead, skip to the next chapter if you do not wish to read it.**

She deepened the kiss as her hands started to explore over his body. They ran up his muscular arms while tracing the prominent veins that she could feel through his thin shirt. Natsu took that as permission to explore her body as well, deciding to drop down to an elbow by her head as his right hand moved to her cheek, caressing it gently with his thumb. Moments later he continued on down her lean body, sliding down her side, the heel of his hand brushing up against the side of her breast.

Lightning rolled through Mirajane's body, causing her to moan through the kiss, arching her back into his hand. Grabbing the back of his hair, she pulled him away from her, looking into his eyes. She opened her mouth to say something and he stopped her, pressing his lips to her neck and caused her to lose her train of thought. "Natsu…" She moaned feeling him nip at her delicate skin. "Hmm…?" He questioned, licking, biting and kissing his way down to her collarbone before kissing gently over where he wanted to lay claim to her.

"We can't…" She said in a moan before squeezing her eyes shut to enjoy the feeling. "Not here… S-someone… m-might walk in… on us…" She tried to say between gasps for air.

"Let them catch us." He said calmly, grazing his sharp teeth back up her neck to suck on the sensitive skin under her ear. "I don't care who sees us."

"Natsu…!" She cried out. She grabbed his hair and forced his eyes to look at her, panting to get her breath back. "Would you let someone look upon me? Would you want someone to see what I would only give to you?" She asked quietly. She hadn't expected the response she got, a low rumbling growl leaving his chest as his lips pulled away from his teeth. '_Mine_' He thought to himself, his growl growing louder as he thought of all of the people that had looked at her previously. "Mine." He whispered to her, getting a shocked reaction out of her.

"Yours… what?" She asked hesitantly. She shook slightly at the sight of him, but not out of fear. She didn't fear him any longer; she knew he would fight for her. Instead, she shook with excitement at what he was saying. She arched up into his body as she felt his hot breath on her ear, his hand landing on her hip aggressively. "**_Mine_**." He growled loudly into her ear, bringing forth another moan from her.

"Then take me somewhere so I will only be with you." She whispered to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Take me…" She continued to whisper.

Natsu wrapped an arm around her waist as he pulled her against him crushing his lips to hers. Never breaking his lips from hers, he stood them up and lifted her off her feet with one hand under her knees and one around her back. She broke the kiss to press her head into the crook of his neck, "My place is no good…" She said against his skin, leaving a wet trail along his collar. "Elfman and Lisanna will be there…"

Natsu grunted as he walked towards the door before kicking it open, letting it slam shut behind him as they walked through the cold night. His body ran too hot for him to even notice the cold, but he felt her shiver slightly at the cool breeze as it washed over them and pulled her closer, sharing his body heat with her. "I had a place at the inn for the next few nights before I started rebuilding my place, we can go there…" He said, rushing through the empty streets.

Mirajane had no recollection of how they got there or even where they were until she felt herself being thrown onto a soft bed, sinking into it with a squeak rather than bouncing on it. She looked at the edge of the bed to see Natsu standing there, looking down hungrily at her. She could not help but fidget under his gaze, squirming slightly.

Natsu slowly crawled onto the bed, tracing a single calloused hand up her leg to her hip and up her side, stopping when she moaned only to notice that his hand had brushed the side of her breast. With a smile, he bent down and kissed her neck gently; trailing hot wet kisses up to her jaw and slowly over to her lips. Mira responded by wrapping a hand around his neck, pulling him deeper into a kiss, threading his tongue into his mouth. It brought his hunger for her up, dipping his tongue into her mouth, fighting against hers for dominance.

Despite his strength over her, she didn't believe in fighting fair, biting his lip as he attempted to get a breath causing him to press his body into hers with a groan. She used this moment of weakness to roll them over, straddling his waist, her dress riding up to her knees, while leaning her weight against his chest as she rolled her hips against his, gasping at the feeling of his ever growing erection beneath her. Natsu's hands gently ran up her sides and back down to her hips as she leaned down, pushing the hem of his shirt up his body so she could feel his hard skin against her hands. She expected it to be rough as if he was made of stone, but she was met with soft skin and hardened muscle underneath. She bent lower to kiss his flesh as she exposed more of his skin.

The higher her hands roamed, the faster his breath was becoming, feeling as if he couldn't get enough air in his lungs. For every rough scar she passed over, her tongue darted out to taste it as if feeling the pain he had experienced each and every time he was hurt. It was agonizingly slow for the impatient Dragon Slayer, but he held himself back, clenching his teeth and enjoying the feeling of her against him, relishing in her touch. When she finally pulled off his shirt, she made her way back up to his lips, kissing him greedily. "Touch me." She commanded him when the kiss broke for air.

Natsu smiled against her lips and slid his hands up the sides of her dress once again, sitting them both up so he could be closer to her. He pulled away briefly as his hands fluttered over her breasts, barely touching them. Mira pushed her chest out, giving him a good handful of her large chest, hissing at the gentle touch. Natsu decided he needed to make her expel more sounds, needed to hear more from her lips. Grabbing the thin straps over her shoulders, he slowly began to draw them down, pushing the collar of the dress down over her breasts. It was Natsu's turn to suck air through his teeth as his gaze was riveted on her chest, her large mounds having only a thin layer of lace covering them.

She couldn't stand the slow pace that he was taking, barely touching her, so she ground her hips against his hoping to speed things up. A hand snaked around to unclip her bra to unveil her breasts for him but was snatched away by one of his own so she contented herself with intertwining her fingers with his hair and pulling his face up against her soft delicate skin. She moaned softly when he kissed over the top curves of her breasts, his left hand moving to her clasp to work on it himself. She could tell he was having trouble, but made no offer to assist him until she felt the pressure holding her back release and ripped her bra off herself, blushing brightly as she realized she was bare for Natsu to see, but made no move to cover herself. She was his already, why would she care that he saw her.

Natsu was mesmerized at the woman's large breasts pressed up against him, but quickly found his rhythm by cupping her right mound with his hand while he kissed her left, licking lightly over the sensitive skin. Reaching the pink skin on her nipple, she mewled at him, arching into him again. With a smile, he sucked the sensitive nub into his mouth, dragging his sharp teeth over the tip of it before flicking it with his tongue and letting go. He continued his relentless exploration by squeezing and molding her mound against his right hand, teasing the nipple between his thumb and for finger.

All awhile, his left hand had started to snake up the inside of her dress, pulling it up as he went, enjoying the silky texture of her skin under his calloused fingers. The further his hand went the more she rotated above him, growing more anxious at his touch. Deciding he had had enough of her dress covering her, he grabbed it in both hands, easily ripping it in half, throwing the remains away from them, not caring where they landed.

Mira slapped his shoulder, scoffing at him. "That wasn't necessary Natsu! You could have taken it off, now what am I supposed to wear tomorrow?" She asked, knowing she hadn't brought any clothes with her other than what she was wearing.

Natsu's hormones were on overdrive as he rolled her over and kissed her ear, licking around the edge of it. "Who said you were going to be clothed tomorrow?" He growled into her ear as she bit her lip, her legs squeezing together in anticipation. Chuckling heavily, Natsu slid his way down her body leaving kisses and nibbles down her body, paying close attention to her sensitive spots before reaching the edge of her panties. He breathed in deeply from his nose, catching the scent of her arousal that had enticed him so on the travel to the inn.

He continued his conquest down her legs, tasting every inch of her while he had the self control. As he made his way up the insides of her thighs, Mira spread her legs for him and blushed brightly, closing her eyes as she shuddered. His touch over her panties caused her to moan his name loudly and started shaking slightly. Natsu stopped his movements and looked up her body at her bite her lip. "Mira… we can stop if you aren't ready for this." He said pulling his hands away from her to push himself up her body, but Mira stopped him, shaking her head and meeting his eyes. "No, I want this…" She said feeling the warmth of his love through his eyes that were laced with concern. "I want _you_." She said confidently, giving him a small wink to emphasize her words.

Natsu couldn't help but chuckle at her, leaning back down to her core, kissing the edge of her panties before grabbing them in his teeth and pulling them down and tossing them off in the direction of the window. Looking up at her one more time to ascertain if she was sure or not, he continued when she nodded her head. Tentatively he licked across her nether lips, feeling her buck against him as he reached the little bundle of nerves with a soft cream. She blushed harder, putting a finger in her mouth to bite down on as he continued.

Determined to make her scream again, Natsu slipped a single finger inside of her, feeling her juices coat his finger as she moaned. Adding another finger to the mix, he gave his tongue the task of teasing her bundle of nerves, flicking against it in time with the thrusts of his fingers.

Mira's hand clenched in the bedding as she tried to keep quiet, feeling blood drip into her mouth as she broke skin with her teeth. Abandoning her effort, she reached down into Natsu's hair and pulled him against her nether lips with a moan. "Natsu!" She cried out when he took his fingers from her, only to be replaced by his tongue, allowing him to taste the sweet juices she was producing. Feeling the walls of her core constrict around him he knew she was getting close to her climax.

Mira screamed, not caring to hold back any longer as she wrapped her legs around Natsu's head, climaxing against his tongue. Natsu greedily lapped up at the juices she was kind enough to give him, growling in pleasure at the fact that she trusted him enough to give him this gift.

After she had fallen from her climax, she reached down and forcefully dragged Natsu up to her, firmly pressing his lips to her own, snaking her tongue into his mouth tasting her own juices on his tongue and lips. Her hands reached down grabbing the scarf from his waist and pulled it off slowly, knowing how much it meant to the salmon haired man on top of her and dropping it off the edge of the bed. "I need you Natsu, I need you right now." She cried at him as she rolled her hips against his erection on the inside of his pants, which she had forgotten he still had on.

Natsu slid off of the bed and undid his pants, letting both them and his boxers to fall, his erection falling out when they were finally out of the way, causing Mira to gasp. Reaching out tentatively she wrapped her hand around his length gently, barely believing how hot it could feel against her skin. A groan escaped his lips before he could stop it and she couldn't help but wonder if it would even fit inside her. With a giggle she pulled him down to her, resting her hands on his hard chest.

As he held himself over her, he could not help but feel lucky that he had found someone as accepting as the woman that was under him, not only because of her beautiful body but for the fact that even though he held love for another in his heart yet could still hold him this close. It hurt him to no ends that he couldn't not give her his whole heart, but knew he would spend the rest of his life trying to make it up to her, if she accepted what he was about to confess that was. "Ne Mira…" He said quietly, searching deep into her piercingly blue eyes. "I have to confess something… and I do not blame you if you stop me right here and leave…"

Mira reached up and pulled his lips down to hers gently, kissing him lovingly rather than the passionate kisses they had been enjoying from one another for the past hour and shook her head. "No matter what you say, I will always be yours." She said confidently.

Natsu held her eyes and smiled at her words, his heart skipping a beat at her words and swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's about what I told you earlier today… About royalty not picking one mate and staying with them for life… I will be forced to take more than one… I will have to give myself to at least another woman to ensure the Dragon inside me is passed along… I don't have a say in _who_ it chooses, but I can influence it. But this time I chose you, I **_chose_** you Mira. When the Dragon was reeling in anger, it let itself slip so I could choose before it picked someone." He explained quietly to her, looking away in fear of her answer to him.

Mira shocked him, starting to laugh as she pulled him tightly against him. "Baka… I already told you, I'm yours for as long as you promise to love me." She said sweetly into his ear. "I will always be yours, Natsu, always."

Natsu growled in a possessive nature over her, his teeth sinking into her neck roughly at her words, just leaving a small mark but not breaking skin. "**_Mine_**." He growled before positioning himself at her opening, coating his length in her juices before sliding himself inch by inch into her painfully slow so she could get adjusted to his length until he reached her barrier. "Just do it, then wait unt-" She started to say as he slammed into her, burying himself as deep as he could into her causing her to scream at the sudden pain that lanced through her.

She blinked as tears slid down her cheeks, feeling Natsu's lips kiss them away and heard him whispering apologies for having hurt her so. She could feel his length filling her uncomfortably as she tried to adjust herself to him, but gave her hips a roll to test how much it hurt and gasped at the feeling. The pain was certainly still there, but pleasure coursed through her nerves. She gave them another test and moaned in pleasure, indicating for Natsu to go ahead and move.

They took their time, slowly letting him retreat until he was barely in her before thrusting himself deep into her and continuing the process agonizingly slow. As they figured out their rhythm she met his thrusts with small ones of her own, causing her to cry out in pleasure, mumbling his name in between thrusts as her head started to cloud. "Harder…" She moaned against his shoulder, wrapping her legs around his waist to let him reach deeper into her. Natsu complied greedily, slamming himself into her causing a meaty slap as their skin met roughly.

"You're so tight… Mira I-I'm about to…" He called out to her as his pace picked up, slamming into her faster and faster with every thrust. "Just a little longer Natsu, just a… Oh god right there!" She cried out as he hit some unseen spot within her that sent a ripple of pleasure through her body. Getting an idea, Natsu reached down with one hand to stimulate her clit as he slammed harder into her, knowing they would both have bruises on their skin after tonight.

"Natsu… Natsu… here it comes!" Mira started crying out as her walls tightened around his length and she came, arching her back as her juices stained their thighs. "NATSUUUUUU!"

"MIRAAAAA!" Natsu cried out as he felt his climax slam into him. Just as he was starting to fill her with his seed, he snapped down on her collarbone, drawing blood and draining his essence into her skin, effectively marking her as his own.

Natsu rolled off of her and stared up at the ceiling in ecstasy of their joining as they both tried to regain their breath. It was Mira that recovered first, reaching up to where he had bitten her, feeling the raised mark in between the holes where his teeth had pierced into her flesh and her eyes watered up, threatening to run over. She could feel him, she could feel the love he felt for her and it ripped through her that he had questioned if it would be enough for her. She knew he had never claimed he loved her, but she could feel it just as much as she knew her own love for him.

As she was gathering her thoughts she felt Natsu grab her arm and pull her up against him, kissing her thoroughly. "Promise you will love me forever?" She whispered against his lips, wrapping her arms around him. "Forever and always." He replied before kissing her gently. "Forever and always Mirajane Dragneel." He said again, further making her heart flutter as she cuddled close to him, letting their exhaustion drag them to sleep.

**R & R please!**

**Any and all criticism is much appreciated!**


	5. A New Rival

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

Mira woke with a gasp at the sudden loss of warmth from her back and rolled over to see where her personal heater had gone, watching him stumble sleepily into the bathroom. Simply watching his body move was enough to bring a longing for him, a small whimper escaping her. Biting her lip she rolled onto her stomach and pulled the blanket over her even tighter. She stayed in that position until she felt Natsu slide into bed next to her, draping an arm over his eyes with a sigh.

Rolling over on top of him, Mira cuddled down onto him and pressed her head into the crook of his neck, leaving gentle kisses on his skin. She clued in on his feelings as they spiked, arousal rolling through him. It sparked her curiosity and she stopped, leaning back to look at his face, looking at his gentle face, but noticing the redness around his eyes. "You can still feel her can't you?" She asked sheepishly, balling up her fists on his chest.

Natsu felt a pang of regret as he nodded and cupped her cheek. "As much as I wish I didn't, I do… I can still feel everything she does. But she won't feel me, I'm all yours." His voice came out confident, but she could see the pain in his eyes. Rolling them over, Natsu pressed his lips into hers roughly. Mirajane fought for only a moment before sinking into the kiss wrapping her arms around his shoulders. As soon as the kiss broke, she hit him in the chest and laughed.

"Not right now Natsu, we have to get back to the guild…" She forced herself to say, even though everything about her told her that she should just stay in the bed with him. When she pushed against him, he didn't fight it and rolled off of her, sitting on the edge of the bed stretching his arms. With a groan they both began to search for their discarded clothes, finding Mirajane's tattered remains of a dress. Natsu couldn't help but laugh as she sighed dejectedly before looking up at him with a pout. "How am I supposed to get out of here now?" She asked throwing the cloth at him.

Natsu quickly grabbed his pack and pulled out a clean shirt and a pair of shorts for her before throwing them back at her. "Wear these until we can get you back to your place so you can change." He said watching her pull them over her small frame. The shirt clung to her body, too small to properly cover her well-endowed chest, but didn't complain. The shorts were another matter, simply falling off her narrow hips until Natsu grabbed his scarf, wrapping it around her waist and tying it tightly to prevent the shorts from falling anymore.

He himself wore a pair of long white pants and a vest that he left open in the middle, not bothering to button it up. As they were leaving she grabbed his pack and brought it with them, giving him a smile. "We can't have you stay here; you can stay with me…" She said, blushing at her implied words. Natsu laughed and pulled her against his side as they checked out and moved down towards her house.

Lucy walked into the guild with a smile on her face, Happy floating just above her shoulder. Everything kept bugging her that Natsu had been willing to give up everything to give her back her life. It was more than she could ever ask for, more than she could ever have hoped someone to give her. But he was right; she had to decide whether her love for him was her own or if it was lingering effects from the mark. Reflexively she touched the spot that she didn't even know she had been marked. Though it had never been visible, it had still been there.

It brought her mind to Mirajane and the confusion from the night prior. Gajeel had claimed it wasn't possible for Natsu to do anything he had with her. Lucy was supposed to be his one, his only. She couldn't help but feel betrayed despite the fact that she hadn't wanted his love when he professed it to her. She had to shake herself and forced a smile on her face as she sat down at the bar next to the Dragon Slayer in question. "Natsu, how long are you going to pretend this never happened?" She asked without looking over at Mirajane, who was just sliding up a plate of food towards him.

"Pretend what didn't happen?" He asked furrowing his brow at the Celestial mage. Lucy had started to grow angry and kicked him. "About the fact that you forced your mark on me." She cried out, feeling hurt.

She looked up to see a single tear drop down his face as he turned to start eating his food, forcing himself to smile in thanks to the barmaid before she left to go take care of the others at the bar. He stopped only long enough to look over at Lucy before going back to his food. "I could never pretend it didn't happen, I emotionally raped you and I will feel it until I die." He said quietly. "Whenever you want to cry, I feel like dying. Wherever you go, I will always be able to find you. No matter how much you despise me… I will always love you. So don't tell me I'm pretending it didn't happen." He said roughly before pushing himself off the barstool and walking away but stopped when she grabbed his hand.

Natsu stood there waiting to see if she would say anything, but when she remained silent he gently squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile, "I don't expect you to do anything about it." He stated before gently taking his hand from hers. "But I wish you could at least try to put it behind you. I will always be your friend…" He said before continuing away to go to the mission board.

Grabbing one he came back over and slammed the job in front of Lucy, "Let's all go on a mission together. We can get the group back together!" He exclaimed throwing his hands up. "Erza! Gray!" He screamed over towards the two, waving them over. She didn't even have time to deny him when they got over as he quickly proclaimed they were all going on a job together.

The two agreed with a smile, but couldn't get more than a word out as Juvia appeared behind Gray, interjecting between them. "Juvia will go wherever Gray-sama does." With a sigh, Gray agreed, not bothering to fight with the water mage, instead subtly grabbing her hand. Natsu caught the endearing act though and leaned in close, "Ice princess finally admit his feelings?" He asked with a smile.

"What did you call me flame brain!" Gray retorted grabbing Natsu by his collar, glaring daggers. The fight stopped before it even began as Erza smashed the two's heads together, placing her gauntleted hands on her hips. "That's enough! It's too early to start fighting already, go get ready and we will head out." She declared before turning on her heel and walking out. Her calm demeanor hadn't changed but she knew she had to keep a control on her emotions; Erza was ecstatic at having their team back, nothing had been the same since they had split.

Jumping off the ground Natsu slammed his fist down on the bar. "Mira!" He called out to her, getting her attention. "We are going on a mission, get ready!" She responded only with a smile and a nod, happy that she was being included.

Natsu groaned, his motion sickness turning him green. They hadn't been on the train for more than a few seconds before the Dragon Slayer had collapsed into a seat. Mirajane sat next to him, letting his head lie on her lap to run her fingers through his hair comfortingly as she looked out at the window. Erza and Lucy sat across from the two and chatted lightly about what to expect from the mission, while Gray and Juvia had chosen to sit in another booth away from the rest of the group.

Lucy looked down and noticed that Natsu had indeed fallen asleep against his new mate and smiled, happy that he had found someone to be with. She looked up to Mirajane and could see the love painted across her face, but shut the thought from her mind. "Been a long time since any of us have been on a job together hasn't it?" Erza said breaking the silence. "And I've been meaning to ask, I notice you have a few more keys Lucy… care to share?"

Lucy blushed lightly and ran her hand across the package of keys at her hip and giggled. "Libra is my most recent celestial spirit. She has the power to change the weight of the enemy. I haven't had a chance to use her yet, but I have been experimenting with a few different ideas as to how to use her." She explained before looking up at the scarlet haired woman. "What about you, I haven't seen you in a while since you have been going out on solo missions." She asked genuinely interested.

Erza laughed and flexed her arm, requipping a spear into her hand. "Same as ever, it's been awhile since I have been able to fight anyone that really tested my abilities." She claimed before letting the spear dissipate. The two turned to Mirajane, who shook her head. "I haven't been on a mission in over a year, it had become too much to work the bar and still work on the side. It's good to get out though and be together with you all."

Erza bit her lip and looked down at the Dragon Slayer to make sure he was still sleeping before she changed the subject, her mind turning to the books she read. "So Mira…. I've been meaning to ask…" She started saying quietly, giving Mira a pressing stare. "How was he… you know?" She asked bringing her hands up, holding them apart as if to indicate a length.

Mirajane immediately blushed and looked away before looking back into Erza's eyes, a smile growing across her lips. It would be like her to ask such a thing since the two could barely go a week without talking about what new books Erza had been reading. As she opened her mouth to respond a crash resounded at the end of the train car, sending a few people flying out of their seats. As the train came to a grinding halt, the group was on their feet, rushing to see what had happened. Natsu snapped awake and stood up, his heart dropping in his chest. He could feel what had happened, and they were going the wrong way.

Before he could even react, Natsu was tackled out of the train, ripping a hole in the wall close to where they were sitting. He could hear a scream ripple through the air from inside the train, but he was already seeking the calm void within himself that he had come to trust during his fights.

He spun a split second before he hit the ground and slapped his palm to the rough earth and vaulted himself through the air to land on his feed a few yards from the gaping hole in the now metal husk. His eyes growing cold, he slid himself into a forward position, ready to meet any attack the woman not twenty feet in front of him stood.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear the cries of his teammates call out to him but he ignored them. "You have no right!" The woman in front of him screamed as the ground around her vibrating with her anger. "He promised me you would come back to me!"

Natsu offered no words, but brought fire into his hands, wrapping it up his arms as a snarl crept across his face. The woman screamed again and threw herself at him, rocks forming around her own fists as she attacked him, "**Earth Dragon's Iron Fist!**" Natsu in turn threw himself forward, grabbing her hand out of the air, using her own momentum to spin them around and throw her even further from the train and his teammates.

Natsu watched as dust puffed up where the mystery girl landed. "**Earth Dragon's Roar!**" She screamed as the dust was just starting to settle, a beam of rock and dirt swirling the ground between the two. Stomping his foot, Natsu prepared to unleash his own Dragon's Roar when Erza landed in front of him, her Adamantine Armor catching his eye. Her shields came together just as the attack hit it, pushing the warrior back into Natsu, but not knocking the two over.

The second the attack died down Erza threw herself forward, but Natsu grabbed her and forced her back from the new Dragon Slayer. "She isn't alone." He growled, his eyes darting back and forth in search of the other people he could feel watching them.

With a gasp, he felt pain pierce through him, or rather his mark and spun around to see both Lucy and Mira behind Gray, who had effectively formed a shield of ice between the three and another man that was smashing away at it. The man was laughing as he broke through the barrier.

Launching himself forward, Natsu summoned his strength at the man as everything around them erupted in battle. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**" He cried out at the man, who simply jumped back away from the group.

Before either of them could react, another beam crashed into Gray, sending him spiraling into Juvia before they both tumbled a distance away. "You have two choices. Either you give up and come with me Natsu, or you fight me and I take you. In one they die, in the other I will have them raped and tortured just to bring you pain until you die." The Dragon Slayer called out to him. "Your choice." She said with a laugh, "But in the end I will have you as my own."

**As always, R & R please.**

**Sorry for the abrupt ending, going to be a long chapter to follow!**


	6. Almost Too Late

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

Silence rippled around them as her implications sunk in. Natsu started to shake, his fists clenching at his sides while he let himself go. No one would threaten the ones he loved, not anymore, not the two women that controlled his life. He would have gladly given his life for any of his guild members, but for Mirajane and Lucy, he would have died if they had wished it. He gave everything to them, determined to prove that he would love them for the rest of his life.

With a roar Natsu threw his hands out to the sides, fire racing through his veins and erupted around him. The fires he cast out were turning white the angrier he got, fear leaving his body. He forced himself to focus on the man that was approaching them from the side. Natsu stood his ground and deflected the first attack, simply turning the fist aside to prevent the man from getting behind him at the two women.

The man brought out a black fire as he started to strike faster, his arms turning into a blur the more they fought, but it seemed as if the man was just toying with Natsu, testing his strength. In the flash of a single heartbeat, Natsu snapped and lost his hold on his anger. He threw himself at the man, disappearing a split second before the man could move only to reappear beside him, crashing into him with his fist. The man with the dark flames flew backwards and Natsu charged off after him, moving in a blur while he continued his relentless attacks.

Meanwhile, Erza tried to keep herself between the new Dragon Slayer and Natsu. In the blink of an eye Erza requipped her Black Wing Armor and threw herself into battle with a cry, bringing her sword to bear only inches from the Dragon Slayer. The woman continued to back up with Erza's relentless assault. "**Earth Dragon's Iron Fist!**" The woman screamed as she dodged under one of Erza's swings but was met with the flat of the blade as Erza tried to block the attack.

The Dragon Slayer kept pressing her attack, causing Erza to turn to a defensive stance, turning away attacks at the last second, but getting slower about it until an attack connected with Erza's unprotected stomach. The impact from the attack drove the wind out of Erza's lungs before being knocked back. Standing back up Erza let a hand rest on her stomach for a moment before she realized the dirt and rock that had hit her had stuck and was growing, preventing her from removing it.

Mirajane, having been frozen as she watched Natsu lose himself, finally decided it was time to act and immediately transformed herself with her Demon's Soul. With a final look to her mate, she launched herself at the Earth Dragon Slayer to help Erza. Her advance caused the woman to jump away, giving Erza enough time to recover from her last attack. Erza requipped once more, pulling a spear from her immense artillery before both herself and Mirajane threw themselves back with a battle cry.

Though the two had considered one another rivals for as long as the two could remember, they fluidly combined their attacks. Every time Erza slashed Mirajane would close the distance to their enemy and attack again. The three circled slowly as they fought for dominance. "**Earth Dragon's Barrier!**" The mage cried out, slamming her fist on the ground between the two, a large dome of rock surrounding the three. With a laugh, the mage threw herself at a wall and harmlessly passed through it before the hole covered itself once more, leaving the two trapped inside as they attacked the walls.

The celestial mage had busied herself with attending to Gray, who had rock surrounding his chest and the upper parts of his arms to prevent him from moving, much less get a breath. "**Open, Gate of the Lion. Loke!**" She called out, her celestial spirit appearing right in front of her. Loke's hands started to glow with golden orbs of light surrounding them before he attacked at the rocks holding Gray, breaking them apart and ripping them from the ice mage's body.

Lucy wasn't paying attention to the battle behind her, simply trying to help out her teammate before anything else got worse. The Earth Dragon Slayer noticed this and attacked without mercy, tackling the celestial mage away from her spirit and teammates.

Off in the distance, Natsu had the other fire mage pinned to the ground and was relentlessly beating the man, slashing across his body with his flames to sear into the man's skin. Deciding the man was out of the fight, Natsu turned to watch the battle that was taking place, only to see Lucy get knocked away. Before his mind could catch up with what had happened, his body moved. "**Fire Dragon's Breath!**" He said as he attacked, forming a tight beam of fire that raced across the ground, hitting the other Dragon Slayer and barely missing the Celestial mage.

His body was a blur across the ground as he charged towards the two. Before he could even reach them, Mirajane and Erza were there attacking. The three of them attacked as one, forcing the dragon slayer into submission. When they had effectively knocked her out, Erza and Mirajane stopped attacking, but Natsu wasn't in control of himself so he kept attacking.

Blood entered his vision as he felt two pairs of arms wrap around him, trying to pull him away. "Natsu, that's enough!" Erza cried out to him. "Killing her won't accomplish anything!"

The fires died out as Natsu let the two women pull him away, "She would have killed you… she would have killed all of you." He mumbled, casting his eyes down with his shoulders shaking. The hands around him slowly let him go and he forced himself to his feet to walk over to Lucy who was just pushing herself into a sitting position, wincing at the burns she could feel along her side.

When Natsu reached down to help her up, Loke stepped up in front of him to prevent him from helping her, but Lucy set a hand on his leg as she forced herself to her feet. "It's okay Loke. Go on back; I'll call you if I need you." She said quietly, a puff of smoke being all that was left when he departed.

"I'll be okay Natsu." She said finally, smiling softly. She gasped in pain as he grabbed her and pulled her roughly into his arms. "N-Natsu that hurts…" She managed to say but he didn't let her go, simply holding her close. Gritting her teeth through the discomfort she felt her heart swell with pride that he had saved her once again. She thought about how much he was willing to risk for her own safety, simply wanting her to be happy. She thought about how often he had been there to help her without asking for anything in return. Even when he had had a chance to have her to himself, he had given her a chance that had brought him more pain. Looking over his shoulder she watched as the rest of the group had begun to busy themselves, Erza tying up the two they had fought and dragging them towards the train while Gray picked up an unconscious Juvia to take her over as well. The only one nearby was Mirajane, who had closed the distance between them, resting a hand on Natsu's shoulder to show her affection. Natsu responded by pressing his cheek against her hand, but didn't let go of Lucy.

Reaching up, Lucy turned his head towards her and quickly pressed her lips against his. In shock, his arms loosened around her just enough for her to push away from his arms. Natsu stood stunned, trying to discern what her feelings were telling him. She was in love with him, he could feel it stronger now than he had before, but she was in pain from those feelings. Throwing her hand over her mouth with a small cry, Lucy turned to leave. '_He has Mira now…_' She thought as she walked away, thinking she was too late.

Suddenly Mirajane was in front of her, her arms pulling Lucy to her. Neither said anything while Mirajane held onto Lucy as tears rolled down the celestial mage's cheeks. "I'm sorry Mira…" She finally said. "I… I didn't mean…" She started to say but stopped, unable to lie to her friend. She had wanted to kiss him, had wanted more as she realized how little she had given to him in return for his unending kindness to her. "N-no… I wanted to." She said, admitting to Mira what she felt. "But I won't come between you two; I could never make him choose."

Mira smiled and lifted the other's chin, "He wouldn't have to." She said confidently before bending down to kiss the younger mage. Needless to say, Lucy squeaked and pulled herself away quickly retreating a few steps. "What the hell was that Mira?" Lucy spat at her, wiping her mouth and looking over at Natsu. She froze when she read confusion on his face, but it was short lived as Mira broke the silence again.

"I accept that I will have to share him with you someday Lucy, but I won't just give him up." Mira said as she stepped beside her mate, pressing herself against his side as his hand snaked around her to hold her against him. "If you want him, I come with the package." She finished with a smile despite the glowing red glow her cheeks were starting to give off.

Lucy stood dumbfounded at Mira's straightforwardness, looking back and forth between Natsu and the other woman. "B-but I'm a girl!" Lucy cried out, her cheeks flushing. "I don't feel that way about women!" She added hastily.

"Neither do I…" Mira admitted but looked up at Natsu, resting her head against his shoulder. "But to see him with another woman is hard enough. But if I could share with him…" She said leaving the rest unfinished, but giving Lucy a knowing smile.

Lucy shook her head, refusing to understand what she was hearing. "What do you mean share him; I thought he could only be with one person anyways." She asked, pleading for an answer.

Mira smiled and shook her head. "I barely understand it myself, but the easiest way to say it is that he is special… He never does anything normal, always doing what he wants."

Natsu sighed, having heard enough from the both of them and started pulling Mira with him before grabbing Lucy's hand and pulling them away with him towards the rest of the group. "As much as I wasn't to continue this, we need to get back to the guild before things get worse. She won't be the only one to come for you." His words confused both of the women; having engrossed their thoughts to what was at hand rather than the reason they were no longer on the train.

Stopping in front of his friends, Natsu's shoulders tightened as he glared at the two unconscious bodies next to Erza. "We need to get back to the guild; I have to explain to master what is going on." He admitted.

"What exactly is going on?" Erza asked, her voice growing cold causing him to flinch. His eyes darted between the three women and shook his head, "Not here, when we get back to the guild I will explain it… For now we have to hurry." He said finally, his voice unable to hold back the worry he felt.

It took them the better part of the day to get back to the guild, having to walk instead of take the train since it had been destroyed. Natsu refused to talk about either subject as they walked, clearly letting his mind work through the issues on his own before he could give a proper explanation. By the time they reached the guild a representative from the council was waiting for them to take the two that had attacked them away, telling the group that he would be back for them if they continued to make trouble.

Natsu made a beeline for the master's room with the rest following quickly behind, grabbing Gajeel and Wendy along the way, giving them no chance to argue before he shoved them ahead of him. He sent Erza to see if either Laxus or Gildarts were there and to have them join them in the room. Before they entered Natsu stopped Gray and Juvia, his eyes staring at the floor trying to summon the courage he needed. "This doesn't involve you two, it is best if you keep some distance with me…" He said, holding up a hand when Gray moved to fight the matter. "This is business between Dragon Slayers." His voice rebuked no argument. Waiting until the ice mage nodded before shutting the door behind him and leaning against it as he scanned the small room.

The master sat behind his desk as usual, holding his cane across his knees with a concerned look across his face as he waited. Erza stood to one side of the desk with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring intently at Natsu, while Laxus laid back against the wall looking bored. He had wanted the two there since they were the strongest in the guild and would need their help, seeing as Gildarts had already left for a mission. Gajeel and Wendy stood off to the side, unsure about what to think with the grouping in the guild master's room. His gaze finally came to rest upon the two women that meant more to him than anything else, Mira and Lucy. He let his affection for them travel through his eyes before he was snapped back to reality by Erza.

"Are you finally going to tell us what the hell is going on?" She asked heatedly, expecting an answer. Natsu refused to wilt under the woman's glare and returned it kindly, his lips peeling back from his teeth ever so slightly. "Why did those two attack us and what were they saying about you being promised to her?" She continued, not giving him a chance to respond.

Natsu's hand rose to hold back her questions and she grumbled as she sat on the edge of the desk to listen. Closing his eyes he started to recount what he had found on his travels away from the guild. "I met a dragon while I was gone…" He stated finally, giving Gajeel and Wendy a sad look. "Sorry but it wasn't one that we knew. I met the Earth Dragon Sekena." He looked over at Erza and nodded. "She was training the Dragon Slayer we saw today. It seems that she had been unable to find one suited to pass her magic along to till after the rest of the Dragons had already disappeared. She was the one who told me about how to remove a mark, and about who my father really was. Or rather, what he chose not to tell me about himself."

Gajeel snarled but remained silent. "Igneel had failed to inform me about the differences in my mating rituals than those of Gajeel and Wendy." He said gesturing towards the two. "While they can only mate once in their life, I cannot. My magic forces me to take more than one mate." Even Laxus perked up at that, sitting on the edge of his chair to questioningly look between Mira, Lucy, and Natsu.

"So what the hell does that make you, and what does it have to do with us?" Gajeel spat, throwing up his hands. Natsu smiled at his friend's impatience and shook his head. "Igneel was the King of Fire Dragons and as such had a duty to ensure that his legacy would be passed on, and as such through his magic it passed on to me and I must ensure that the magic passes onto an heir." Looking over, he locked eyes with Wendy, his smile fading. "After removing the mark from Lucy, my Dragon has fought against me in the terms of mating. I have little control over who it decides I will mark and who will be a mate, but I do have influence over it…"

Wendy took a timid step back and shook her head, "A-and..?" She asked quietly.

"I have been able to keep it from choosing another Dragon Slayer thus far, but I can feel the urgency behind finding another one. It will start to draw any female Dragon Slayer that has yet to mate until it finds a suitable person to pass on its genes with." He said quietly. "That is what it has to do with you, and I can see how much you care about Romeo, and I will not take that away from you." He finished, biting off the last words one at a time.

Mira was the one who broke between them, speaking up confident that she understood. "So that is why the woman was claiming that she had been promised you." Natsu shook his head. "No… Sekena promised me to her if she could finish her training. I left before she finished, hoping to create a distance between us so it would never have come down to it. I wish her well, but it will not be with me."

Natsu brought his eyes around before they landed on the master once again and he walked over to the desk before falling on his knees in front of it. "I ask that you help me protect Lucy and Mira… Those that come will bring others with them like she did today. They will try to take them from me. I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to stop them." He finished, lowering his eyes to the ground in front of him, his chest heavy.

Makarov only smiled and stood up on his chair. "Be they enemies of the guild or enemies of the heart, no harm will befall any of the Fairy Tail members while I am still here." He said loudly. Gajeel muttered under his breath about how hopeless the fire breather was before leaving, followed by a timid Wendy who only rushed off to find her boyfriend Romeo. Laxus followed not far behind, throwing a wave and laugh over his shoulder at the situation before he disappeared. On her way out, Erza laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled down, "If you need anything just ask. You can always come to us for help." She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before leaving.

Thanking the master for his help, Lucy grabbed Mira's hand and brought her over to Natsu before hitting him in the back of the head. When he grabbed the back of his head to rub the pain away, she grabbed his collar and started to drag him from the room despite his cries that he could walk. Without another word, Lucy pulled the two of them down the hall away from everyone as she glared into the distance in front of her. At the end of the hall she shouldered the door open and physically threw Natsu across the room against the wall, her face flushed in anger.

Mira calmly closed the door behind her, letting the situation play out. She thought she knew Lucy well enough to know that she wouldn't hurt Natsu too bad before she got the answers she wanted, but made herself stand ready just in case things went too far.

Lucy continued to throw the Dragon Slayer against the wall before kneeling next to him, slamming his back against the wall one more time before leaning against his chest, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Not only am I supposed to share you with one of my best friends, but you want me to share you with another Dragon Slayer?" She asked quietly, hitting her fist on his chest again but with no strength behind it.

Natsu never offered her any words to explain any of what he had told her, instead wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him, being careful to avoid the bandages she had from him. He had been able to draw a portion of the pain from her, but it was the magic that Wendy had used on her that had caused her to heal faster. It would only be about a day before she would be at her peak physical form once again.

Mira knew he needed her help in this and walked over, pressing her chest to Lucy's back as she wrapped her arms around the celestial mage as well. "Don't blame Natsu, he doesn't know any better. He always has to make things harder for the ones he loves." She said looking into the eyes of her lover over Lucy's shoulder. "But I don't think I would love him the same if he didn't give his all in everything he did. It makes him who he is, no matter what happens, we can't change that."

Lucy nodded against Natsu's shoulder, knowing exactly what she was talking about. That no matter how hurt Natsu could get, he would always find the strength to save them from their enemies. Pulling back from Natsu's shoulder she looked into his eyes before pressing herself against his lips, letting her pain disappear in between Natsu and Mira's embrace.

**As always, R & R please.**

**Any and all criticism is appreciated!**


	7. To A Mutual Future

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

**Just to clarify a few things, I never said Erza was in on this. That hasn't been said yet, all that was said was she is a pervert. Also, this is not a bunch of one shots where he confesses his love for other women, there is a reason behind everything I have put into this. That being said, don't assume just because it says some abstract comment, that it will lead to something. Take everything how it is said, look no deeper unless it further develops.**

**Anyways, I hope that clarified some questions, if you have any others feel free to review or send me a direct message.**

The kiss hadn't been more than that, or wouldn't have to any other parties looking. Though it only lasted a few short moments, Natsu felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest. The kiss was simple and soft, but despite the growing hunger to claim the blonde against his chest, Natsu held himself back and let her take things at her own pace. After the small intimate moment they had together, Lucy laid her head on his shoulder, the three of them just enjoying one another's company.

The group didn't know for how long they sat there holding one another, but knew it was getting late. Eventually, Lucy stirred before pulling back. "I want you to mark me Natsu." She said gripping his vest in one hand. "I don't want you to feel the pain you took upon yourself when you took it away from me." Her voice grew soft as she remembered the state he had gone into after that, seeing the blind rage in his eyes that showed a darker side to him. A side that she hoped to never have to see again. Feeling his hand lift her chin, she let him direct her without hesitation.

A small gasp left her lips when his own pressed against her collarbone, directly on the same spot he had bitten before, but she didn't feel any magic this time, but waited patiently, tensing slightly in case she would feel any pain but it never came. She felt Natsu smile against her skin before pulling back, "It isn't that easy Luce, and there are certain requirements that have to be met at the same time for me to claim you as a mate." His words were calm, but not altogether soothing as Lucy feared that it would be more painful than she thought.

"W-what do I need to do…" Lucy asked looking back to the white haired mage, seeing the mark on her right collar. It was altogether different from the one Levy had, appearing as a dark circling vortex of flames. It looked to spin as you watched it and Lucy had to force herself to look away, up into the Mira's eyes. "Well… You see…" Mira started, trying to explain what they had done to complete her mark. Mira diverted her eyes and flushed a dark red, feeling the heat spread across her cheeks. "They call it a mating mark for a reason…"

It was Lucy's turn to blush, her face growing heated enough that she was sure she was redder than Erza's hair. "B…But that means… We would have to…" She stammered shyly, unable to finish her thought on her own. "That means we would have to have sex, yes." Natsu finished for her, turning her with a gentle hand on her cheek to him. "But it won't come to that for at least a few days, and then not even so if you don't feel ready. I need you healed first so we don't have to worry when it happens." He said smiling, kissing her cheek. "But it will have to happen sooner or later, and it has to be consensual this time around, you have to accept it, the mark cannot be forced upon you again."

Waiting until everything had sunk in, Natsu pulled the three of them to their feet. "We all need to go get some rest, in the morning we can figure out exactly how we want this to go." Neither of the two women let go of him, each having a hand against his chest looking at the other one, unsure of how to go about deciding where they would go. Natsu could only chuckle and pull both of the women against him once again. "Why don't we just go back to Lucy's place?" He suggested. "That way we won't have to deal with anyone right now, won't have to answer any hard questions, or worry about someone catching us together." Lucy blushed again, thinking of having Natsu and Mira in her bed, nearly naked.

Looking down at Natsu's body she blushed, wondering if she would be able to hold herself back after seeing him undress himself. It was almost as if Natsu could read her thoughts, or maybe it was just the look on her face that gave it away and he kissed the top of her head with a laugh. "I promise we won't do anything tonight, we will both be on our best behavior, won't we Mira?" He asked raising his eyebrow.

Mira blushed but nodded, "Of course I want to… But…" She giggled lightly, biting her lip while looking up at Natsu, almost pleadingly. "You have no idea how hard it is to say no to you, and under any normal circumstance I wouldn't bother to even try, but tonight will be a little too much, maybe if we find some time later." He said before forcing his eyes away, knowing that if he looked into her eyes much longer he would have had to agree.

Lucy blushed furiously as she listened to the casual conversation between the two and punched Natsu in the arm, "Come on, let's just get out of here so we can pretend to get some rest." Natsu nodded and started to lead the two women towards the door, feeling slightly uncomfortable having the both of them gripping on his shirt as if he would just disappear if they let go.

As if feeling his apprehension, Lucy wrapped her arm in his own and giggled. "Think you can handle the both of us, Mr. Dragon Slayer?" She asked teasingly. Natsu refused to rise to the bait though, simply wanting the three of them to get back so he could finally get a full nights rest. "Not a chance, I doubt I could keep up with either of you, let alone two beautiful women such as yourselves." He said just as Mira followed Lucy's lead and took up his other arm.

Instead of going out the main hall, Natsu directed out the back and away from the dwindling crowd instead of dealing with the prying eyes. The conversation was light, merely talking about what they were planning on doing the following day. Mira had to work and Natsu needed to take care of a few things in town, finishing up a few pieces of unfinished business that he had left behind the six years prior. Lucy offered to join him, but he denied adamantly, instead claiming he would rather her stay home to rest so she would be feeling better the following evening as he was going to have a surprise waiting for the two.

Inside the small apartment, Lucy grabbed a nightgown before realizing Mira didn't have one to wear and that Natsu hadn't brought along a spare change of clothes either. When she asked them Natsu simply smiled and scratched the back of his head, claiming he would just sleep in his boxers like he used to when he snuck into her room in the middle of the night. Mira quickly agreed with him, unafraid to be seen by him after their first night together as lovers. "Ne, Lucy, why don't you join us?" Mira offered, giving her a small seductive smile. "But we haven't even… we haven't even done… that… yet." Lucy retorted with, clutching her nightgown to her chest.

"I've already seen you in less." Natsu said dropping back onto the bed before pulling his shirt off, tossing it on the floor. A blush crept along Lucy's face again and she looked away, "But that was never on purpose, you always just walked in on me." "So you claim." Mira teased. "But let's face it, if you're afraid to let him see you in your unmentionables, how long will it take you to let him see you naked?"

Lucy could see the logic in her argument, but was still apprehensive about letting the both of them see her in that way. With a sigh, she agreed, making them both promise they wouldn't try anything tonight. They both agreed happily and Lucy watched as the two stripped down before she herself undressed, hiding herself slightly. Together they all crawled into Lucy's large bed, Natsu lying in the middle of the two beautiful mages. While Mira slid right up to Natsu, giving him a kiss on the cheek and lying her head on his shoulder, Lucy stayed back a little bit until Natsu wrapped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her closer, giving her a kiss on the cheek to reassure her that everything would be alright.

Pulling Mira closer as well, Natsu pressed his lips to hers lovingly. The two shared a gentle kiss for only a short moment before closing their eyes. Natsu felt as if sleep would finally take him when he felt a pair of lips over his own again and opened his eyes to find that Lucy had decided she needed more than just a kiss on the cheek before she would be satisfied. The kiss intensified for just a moment before Lucy pulled away and set her head back down on his shoulder. "Call it a preview…" She whispered quietly before taking up Mira's hand, forcing herself to become more comfortable around the woman. She found it surprisingly calming to be around the two, feeling as if she could remain there forever.

Mira let out a small moan as the bed shifted and wrapped herself around her lover, draping a leg over one of his own so she could get closer. Peaking from one eye, she tried to see what had disturbed her. Her eye connected with the voluptuous body of their very own Celestial mage. The blonde was pushed up on an elbow as she looked down at the sleeping Dragon Slayer. She appeared to have a look of confusion, but Mira could see the affection the woman was trying to hide. She watched as the mage descended down towards Natsu. Just before their lips met, Mira saw Natsu smile but knew Lucy wouldn't be able to see it.

Both women screamed in surprise when, as soon as Lucy's lips touched Natsu's, he pulled her down to him and flipped them over so that he was on top of her. He pressed his lips against Lucy's roughly, appearing as if he would melt into her. Lucy's cry turned into a giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deeper kiss. Rather than interrupt their kiss, Mira slid to the edge of the bed to find her clothes she had discarded the night prior. She knew she would get her own soon enough and was content to wait, giving Lucy her moment.

Natsu growled lightly against Lucy's lips to show his appreciation, but broke the kiss shortly after, smiling down at the blushing woman. "Morning Luce." He bent down and gave her another peck on the lips before rolling out of bed, just in case he got too carried away, much to Lucy's dismay. Arching his back slightly, Natsu reached his hands up and stretched to feel his muscles loosen. His eyes started to search the room for his own discarded clothes and saw Mira bent over in the task of picking her dress from the floor, preventing him from looking anywhere else.

Hearing the door to the bathroom shut, Natsu snapped out of his fantasy and back into reality, closing the distance between himself and the white haired woman quickly, backing her into the wall. He quickly took her lips in his own, feeling her arch into him to press the rest of their bodies together, drawing a moan from his lips. After the kiss, Natsu lowered his head and brushed his lips over her mark, giving it small bite. "Mmm… When are we going to get a chance to be alone?" Mira asked boldly when he pulled away. Natsu answered with a low growl, looking her body up and down before stepping away and grabbing his clothes and pulling them on.

After the three were dressed, Lucy decided that rather than stay at home and rest, she would head to the guild with Mira until Natsu had had enough time being by himself for the day. Natsu scoffed at her and shook his head, waving off her comment as they all walked to the guild. After seeing them to the door, Natsu said his goodbyes and jogged off down the street towards the center of town.

Over the six years in which Natsu had been away from the guild, he had acquired quite a sum of money in which he would need to rebuild his house. His first stop was simply to drop by a small shop that helped him create a set of floor plans for his home. He decided on a home that he would be able to change after he knew kids were on the way. The thought made him smile, not because he would be passing along his abilities, but because they would be yet another connection that he held with the two women in his life.

Natsu snapped out of his daze and shook his head, throwing down enough money to pay for what he had ordered twice over, getting the owner's word that he would send a few people over just after lunch to assist with the building. With the plans in hand and just a few hours until he had to be back at his rundown house, Natsu made his way through town to a few other stores, grabbing the materials he needed for the house. The heavy loads, combined with the amount of trips he had to make between the plot and town had brought him to a sweat, dirt covering him completely.

With a sigh, Natsu pushed his way into the guild before dropping his head down on the bar with a resounding thud. "Oh good lord Natsu, what in the world have you been doing to smell that bad?" Lucy asked, standing a few feet away. Natsu laughed and sat up. "I've been trying to get everything set up so that I can rebuild our house tonight."

Lucy folded her arms below her breasts while raising an eyebrow to him, "What do you mean _our_ house?" Looking over at the barmaid that was just walking up she shook her head. "Do we even have a say in the matter?"

Natsu waved a hand to dismiss her questions, "Why wouldn't we stay together? Besides, I need you to be close in case something happens so I can stop it." He said with a grin.

Mira slid a plate of pasta in front of the male, leaning on the counter to watch him eat. "In all seriousness, you are going to need a serious shower." She said with a shake of her head.

Natsu groaned and pushed himself from the bar after he ate the rest of the food. "Don't forget, make sure you are at Lucy's by six tonight." With a smile he ran out of the hall, going back to the plot of land that had used to be his home, the one he had built for Happy and himself.

Lucy sat down at the bar and looked up at Mira with a smile, "Any idea what he wants?" She asked the white haired mage.

Mira shook her head but watched the back of Natsu's head disappear out the door. "Knowing him, it will be something incompetent. But I can't help but be excited whenever he gets that look in his eye."

"Hey Mira… If you don't want to tell me its fine… but…" Lucy asked, fidgeting to keep her eyes away from Mira. "When you and Natsu… you know… was he your first?" She blurted out, her cheeks flushing.

Mira blushed but nodded slowly, "I was lucky to have someone like him…" Mira bit her lip as she remembered their first and only night together. "Are you worried about it?"

Lucy nodded, but continued to frown. "I'm not worried about it being my first time… I'm worried about how he will look at me after. I mean, he never showed much interest until recently…"

The take-over mage leaned over the counter and took up the blonde's hand, "You know how Natsu thinks. Has he ever looked down on you? Has he ever even hurt your feelings on purpose?" She asked. "Natsu loves you, and wouldn't change with the chance to be closer to you."

"I guess you're right, Mira. I just have to trust in him…" Lucy said with a smile. "Say… should we show up early to get ready a bit? Give him a small surprise of our own?" She asked biting her lip seductively.

"What did you have in mind?" Mira asked, her interest peaking. Grabbing her hand before Lucy could answer she herded her towards the door. "Lisanna! I'm going to head back early today, would you mind taking over for a while?" She called out to her younger sister as she ran out the door with Lucy.

Natsu struggled under a large pillar, attempting to hold it high enough for the other workers to get the final piece of the foundation set in place, glancing at the sun to gauge the time. Taking a few steps back, Natsu waved the foreman over before explaining that he had to get going, but promised to pay extra if they finished before they went home. Ordinarily he would never have suggested such a thing, knowing how hard it was to set up a house, but the foreman had found a unique set of people to work for him that could use magic to speed up the pace.

Natsu had to break into Mira's house to get his bag that had his change of clothes, deciding to shower and change there then head over to Lucy's apartment. He made sure to scrub every particle of dirt from his body before dawning his clothes on. He decided on a long pair of dark gray pants with a golden short sleeved shirt and a long red coat the fell well below his knees, but left the front open. As the usual, he wore his scale-like scarf around his neck and a pair of black boots to finish his outfit. Grabbing his bag, he threw it over his shoulder and sprinted out of the building, slamming the door behind him.

The Fire Dragon Slayer could tell that the two were already at the apartment before he even got there and groaned to himself, having wished he had gotten there before them so he could get things ready for them. Jumping up to the second floor window, he checked inside to make sure they were out of the way before slipping inside silently, the familiar smell of lavender and vanilla flooding his senses. He had to bite his tongue to keep from moaning as his body shuddered. Silently, Natsu moved around the room until he found the two women, or heard them rather, both of them talking excitedly in the bathroom with the door shut. He was lucky, if they had left it open, he wouldn't have had time to prepare. Slipping a package from his inside pocket of his jacket, he turned snuffed the lights in the room before lighting a couple of candles he knew Lucy had hidden under her kitchen sink.

Mira turned to look at the door of the large bathroom and smirked, "He's here…" She could feel him, if only barely, his presence lingering just in the other room. Turning to each other, they looked one another over quickly before taking a deep breath. "Ready?" She asked the blonde, getting a nod in return. Composing herself, Mira grabbed the handle to the door and opened it, only to be met with a dim light, barely enough to see where they were going.

Natsu sucked a breath in sharply upon seeing the two women exit the bathroom, trying to find him in the dark room. His eyes looked over the both of them hungrily, drinking in their beautiful bodies. Lucy was in a tight red dress that had a slit down the side starting just below the hip and pushed up her large chest. She had a small amount of blush on and dark red lipstick, her hair draped over her left shoulder.

Mira was no less stunning, standing in a black dress that pressed tightly to her curves before fanning out at her hips, ending a hair above her knees. The back of the dress was open and showed a generous amount of skin, only covering the small of her back to her knees. She as well had light blush on and pink lipstick that he could tell, but had her long hair draped over her right shoulder.

Stepping out of the corner of the room, Natsu lit a few other candles he had strategically placed around the room. "I can't believe how beautiful you two look; I have to be the luckiest man that has ever lived." His voice slipped over the two women giving them goose bumps as they turned to look at him. Lucy was the first to regain her voice, forcing herself to speak slowly. "No matter how lucky you feel, I can't but help thinking that we are the two getting the better end of the deal."

The distance between the three closed until Natsu stood in front of the two women that were standing side by side, their shoulders brushing ever so slightly as they wavered under his gaze. "I know I am asking a lot from the both of you, expecting you to just be okay with everything this far… Not to mention the amount of danger I have put you in with other Dragon Slayers." He said putting a hand on either of their arms, feeling their smooth skin below his own.

Mira slapped away his hand and folded her arms beneath her breasts, raising an eyebrow. "You can't protect us like we are simply a piece of property that will break at the slightest sign of danger. I don't think I need to remind you that you are in the presence of two Fairy Tail members. That alone has sent us through hell and back." She said, the edges of her lips turning up into a smile.

"None of us fight alone; we have our friends behind us at all times. Any of them would give anything to protect another from the guild…" Lucy added to Mira's words. "You don't have to protect us from anything. We stand beside you in this, as anything else that will come for us in the future."

Natsu smiled and took both of their left hands in his own, pressing the backs to his lips one at a time. "I doubt you would ever let me think differently. And I know neither of you are weak, but I can't help but worry… I can't lose either of you. And I know that in the eyes of our friends and in our eyes it will always be known, but I want every person that sees you to know that you are **_mine_**." He said, growling the last word. The word caused the women to blush, but remained silent as it looked like he was going to continue talking. "Rings signify to everyone else that the wearer is taken, so I would like you two to wear these…" He said pulling out a set of velvet boxes.

Lucy brought her spare hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp as she watched Natsu drop to a knee, taking the rings out one at a time. The rings were a thin band of gold with a set of three pink diamonds, the middle slightly larger than the others and in the shape of fire. Inside the bands he had inscribed their names as well as his own and he slipped them on their ring fingers, fitting perfectly over the both women. "I had to have Erza help me find out your sizes, but I'm glad we got them correct. I had them made exactly the same, though you are both different in nearly every way, you both hold the same amount of my heart. All of it. Though we may not have had a lot of time together just yet, I couldn't picture my life without waking to see both of your smiling faces."

Neither of the women said anything, but both of them had the same astonished faces. This wasn't the Natsu that had left, he was calmer and even more in tune with everyone around. On top of that he was romantic. The two shared a look before they grabbed Natsu and forced him to his feet. Lucy threw herself at his lips, not giving him a chance to react as Mira stepped behind him, pressing her lips to his neck. Natsu moaned against Lucy's lips, feeling the curves of both women pressed around him.

When Lucy pulled back to get a breath of air, Mira turned Natsu to reclaim his lips. Lucy kissed her way up his neck to his ear, licking it. "I think it's time I earn that mark." She whispered, causing Natsu to gasp and give Mira enough leeway to deepen the kiss. The two women worked together to pull his jacket off, throwing it across the room. The three moved together to the bed, their hands exploring over one another. Natsu felt himself get ripped away from Mira's lips and shoved back onto the bed. Looking up at the two women, he could only stare in awe as Mira stepped behind Lucy, unzipping the back of the dress and letting it fall.

Lucy blushed brightly but didn't attempt to cover herself as she in turn reached around Mira's neck to untie her dress and let it fall to the ground as well. Natsu pushed himself to the edge of the bed, taking a hand from each of the women to pull them down with him. Lucy chose to sit down directly on his lap, lacing her fingers into his hair ant tilting his head back to open his neck to her lips. Natsu moaned at the sensation, letting a hand slide up her side trying to feel her silky skin against him. His other hand reached out to Mira, cupping her cheek to pull her over to his lips. Lucy pulled back and looked down at the two kissing, their tongues tentatively seeking one another out.

Lucy tried to steady her hands as she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt until his hands covered hers, squeezing them gently. "If you're unsure, we don't have to go any further. I won't do anything until you're ready." He said breathing heavily. Lucy shook her head and kissed him gently. "I want to be with you… I need this." She answered.

Natsu's shirt practically fell off under the two women's hands before they pushed him onto his back. Lucy trailed kisses down his chest to get to his pants, biting her lip as she looked up at him before dragging them off his body, leaving him in just his boxers. As soon as she had slid up his body, he rolled them over. "My turn." He growled through a smile. He forced himself to slow down as he kissed, nibbling her skin every few kisses, licking her smooth skin. Mira moved down next to him, catching his attention and kissing along Lucy's skin next to him. Being unable to control himself, he broke the front clasp on her bra and pushed it aside, licking his lips up at the blonde.

A gasp left the blonde as she felt two sets of lips press against the naked skin of her breasts, arching into the two. The contrast of the two was unsettling to her, Natsu's wet kisses leaving trails of fire down her skin while after every wet kiss Mira blew cold air against her skin. She failed to stifle her moan when Natsu sucked her nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue.

"N-Natsu…! Please…!" Lucy cried out as his sharp teeth drug down her stomach. The closer he got, the stronger the smell of her arousal and it was driving him crazy. He looked up to see that Mira was working her way back up to capture her lips. Natsu used the distraction to his advantage, sliding down her panties down her legs. Being gentle at first, he kissed against her lips gently, licking gently on the bundle of nerves. Lucy bucked against him, wrapping her arms around Mira for support.

Natsu pulled Mira closer, but left her to attend to Lucy while he attended to her core. He decided that he had neglected the white haired mage long enough, drawing a single finger down her panties. Mira pushed back against his hand, giving him permission to continue. Pulling her panties down, he slid a single finger into her core and similarly slid his tongue into Lucy. Both women gasped, moving against him as they parted. Mira quickly removed her bra and bent to kiss Lucy again, cupping her breast in one hand, pinching her nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

Lucy pulled away from Mira and threw her head back against the bed, crying out as she felt her core tighten. "Natsu!" She gasped when he finally pulled away. "I need you." She moaned.

Natsu moved up her body to replace Mira's lips with his own. She grabbed ahold of him and pulled him closer. Positioning himself at the entrance of her core, Natsu held himself back for a moment. "I'm sorry Luce…" He whispered before thrusting himself into her as deep as he could, breaking past her thin membrane. She screamed loudly as Natsu and Mira tried to comfort her.

After a few minutes, Lucy rolled her hips experimentally against Natsu, gasping as both pleasure and only a small amount of pain. When she rolled her hips again, Natsu looked into her eyes. "How was it?"

"Amazing." She answered, rolling them again to draw a moan from the Dragon Slayer. Natsu pushed himself onto his knees as he slowly retreated only to thrust into her again at a painfully slow pace. As the pace started to increase, Mira sat up and pressed her lips against Natsu's. Bending his head down towards her ear, he nibbled on her earlobe. "I want to taste you." He whispered in her ear.

Natsu left her long enough to bend over to Lucy, wrapping his arm around her and rolling them over so she was on top of him, straddling his hips. The blonde moaned, taking the initiative by rolling her hips. Mira pushed Natsu down on his back and positioned herself over him facing Lucy, gasping as his tongue ran over her core. Natsu moved his hips in time with Lucy, licking deep into Mira's core with the same timing.

The two women leaned on one another for support as the Dragon Slayer pleased them both. Mira moaned loudly and drug her fingernails across his chest as she felt her climax roll over her.

"Harder Natsu!" Lucy cried loudly, letting him push her onto her back, thrusting into her harder. Mira laid close to watch as Natsu thrusted roughly into the blonde mage, enjoying Natsu's bunched muscles and Lucy's cries of joy.

"N-Natsu! I'm gonna… I'm…" Lucy screamed, her walls tightening around Natsu's length, causing him to lose his control. It only took a few moments longer before he himself was clawing his way past his climax, leaning over with a roar to bite down on her collarbone, passing his magic into her as he filled her with his seed.

Leaning over her Natsu pressed his lips against hers briefly, before releasing her from his arms to let her rest as the mark started to take over. "I love you Lucy." He said with a smile. "Oh god, I love you Natsu." She replied, trying to get her breath back.

"Natsu?" Mira asked, lying on her back, biting her lip at him. "How long are you going to make me wait?"

The Dragon Slayer slid towards her and growled, the look in her eyes turning him hard again. Instead of taking her how she wanted, he rolled her over onto her hands and knees, sliding a hand down her spine before thrusting himself deep within her core. Natsu put his hands on her hips to pull her back against him harder with each thrust. Soon the meaty slap of skin on skin was drown out by Mira's pleasurable cries the closer she got to her climax.

Mira was pulled up against his chest, leaning her neck to the side as he bit down into her neck gently. "Not so hard Natsu… Not so hard…" She whimpered, digging her fingers into his hair. "Then stop me." He challenged her back.

Mira pulled away from Natsu and shoved him onto his back, climbing on top of him. Impaling herself, she slammed down on him, causing him to grunt and squeeze his eyes shut. Grabbing her by her hips, he thrusted up into her. "You're so tight Mira… I'm close…" He managed to say between breaths.

"Me too…. "She managed to cry out. A roar left his lungs when he climaxed, thrusting himself into her deeply, causing her to scream out her climax. Mira collapsed against his chest with another moan before rolling off him next to an exhausted Lucy. Lucy moved until she was lying facing Mira and slid close, pinning the white haired mage between herself and the Natsu. "Thank you, Mira…. Thank you for letting me have another chance at this." Mira nodded and gave her a quick kiss. "You mean everything to Natsu, so naturally… You mean everything to me as well…" Natsu laid an arm around the two women in front of him before pulling up a blanket over them. Sleep slowly took them over until Natsu snapped out of it, getting an uneasy feeling. Unable to shake the feeling, Natsu laid there, listening to the two women's breathing slow down.

**As always, R & R please!**


	8. Paralyzing Fear

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

**Remember, take everything how it is said exactly, don't assume anything is going to happen in the future. There may be a twist or two coming up, but I won't tell!**

Natsu lost track of time from the point the two had fallen asleep to where he now was. Somehow he had managed to slip away from the two women without waking them. Not wanting to stand around naked, he had slipped on a pair of shorts. He stood in front of Lucy's window unable to shake the uneasy feeling he had. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end and continued to put him further from a comfortable level. It felt as if a pair of eyes was watching him, but no matter where he looked, they were never there. Was it simple paranoia; was he simply jumpy now that he had a chance at happiness? The thought brought his eyes over to the two women. Guilt gripped him, but he wouldn't have to lie to them for much longer. They would be mad, but they would get over it in time. Until that day, he would continue to prove to them that he had to do what he had done to keep them safe.

A small cry of shock left one of the women on the bed and he heard another cry then a shuffle of movement. Looking over his shoulder at them he smirked. They were looking one another over cautiously before shooting Natsu a glare together. "She had fire on her skin. Would you care to explain?" Mira's voice made the question sound more like a demand, causing him to chuckle. Leaning against the windowsill he shook his head. "You don't seem to understand how close our bodies work, so I will show you."

Lucy moved to the edge of the bed and folded her arms below her breasts. "Words have never been your strong suit. So, show us what you mean." She bit off each word, clearly irritated that he had failed to explain the entire situation to the two of them from the start. Natsu crooked a finger at Mira to beckon her over. The woman stood up and made her way over to him, stopping a few feet from him. Before she could react, Natsu sucked in a breath and blew a small stream of fire between them and over her face. She squealed and attempted to get out of the way, but felt the flames wash over her delicate skin.

"What the hell was that?" She screamed at him, covering herself up. He remained silent, his smile no longer evident on his face while he waited for her to realize what had happened. Her hands quickly ran over her skin and through her hair, finding them untouched in any way. Her eyes widened and shot up to him. "I don't understand, how am I not burnt?" She whispered.

Natsu sighed and looked over at the silent blonde on the bed. "Does this make sense to you yet?" She nodded at his question and moved over to Mira to check her for herself. "So you can't hurt us with your fire anymore, anything else we should know?" Natsu nodded before smiling to himself. "Little accidents like what happened with you are liable to happen when you feel a strong surge of emotions." He explained. "Specifically hatred or anger." He left the question unsaid with what had crossed her mind to cause the outburst.

The blonde blushed slightly and shook her head to indicate she didn't want to talk about it. Natsu nodded and slid his back down against the wall with a sigh. He still couldn't shake the feeling? "Why don't you two get some rest? Tomorrow is moving day and I don't think you want me to pick everything out." A large grin spread across his face at the thought of having their own home together.

Lucy grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself while Mira pulled the bed sheet around herself and they each sat next to Natsu against the wall, feeling his unease. Neither asked him what was wrong and just let their presence help him. They each laid their head on a shoulder. Warmth flooded through their respective covering the closer they got to him. An hour passed before any of them said anything. "Aside from moving, I need to show you what I learned while I was away." He said finally, staring off into space.

Lucy looked up at him and smiled. "You mean you have something other than your new flames?" She remembered the frightening sight that he had turned into when the other Dragon Slayer had shown up to threaten them. Though frightening, she could not help but feel pride with how far he was willing to go to protect them. He nodded and left the rest unsaid, closing his eyes to let the women fill his senses.

Natsu woke with a start, pushing away from the wall to stand up. Neither of the women was with him and the room had been cleaned of their discarded clothes. The bed had also had its sheets changed with a set of clothes lying neatly folded on the edge to wait for him until he had gotten up. The gesture struck him as odd; no one had ever been around to set clothes out for him. He picked them up to look them over and groaned. They weren't something he could fight easily in, being a burgundy long sleeved shirt with a pair of tan pants. His scarf sat neatly pooled on top of his black cloak so he grabbed the both of them, throwing the cloak over his shoulders and his scarf getting tied off at his waist.

In the main room of the small apartment Lucy sat at her desk, writing what looked like as a letter to her late mother. She was writing at a furious pace, as if she couldn't get her words down on paper fast enough. She smiled when Natsu kissed the top of her head but still didn't look up as they exchanged greetings. He left her to her work and went into the kitchen to see what he could scrounge up. He didn't know how to cook so he grabbed an apple before heading back out to the living room and over to the couch where Mira sat with a book in her hands. She set it aside when he sat down next to her and laid his head down on her lap. "Took you long enough to get up, we almost left without you." She teased, smoothing back his hair from his face. While it was still spikey, the tips had started to curl towards the ground with how long he had let it get recently. He took a bite of his apple and frowned at her, "You could have woken me you know. I don't bite... Okay I don't bite hard." He admitted.

Lucy finished up her letter and slipped it into the drawer next to her before making her way  
over to the other two. "Are we ready to see what concoction of a house we are going to be living in?" She teased, withholding her excitement. Her eyes met Natsu's for only a brief moment, but she felt fire scream through her veins at the moment. In that brief moment she felt as if she was all that mattered. She played it off by grabbing both of the mage's hands and pulled the two with her towards the door.

No sooner than they walked outside did Natsu get the same uneasy feeling he had the night prior. Mira casually hooked her arm through his and hugged the limb to her side. Lucy wasn't as sure of herself, merely walking close to him until he grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers. She looked up to see him grinning down at her before kissing the back of her hand and causing her to blush. They wove their way through the waking town, exiting into the forest just outside the gates. He cursed himself at putting his home so far from the guild, ever thinking of what was to come. They stopped just at the front of the house, Natsu noticing the foreman asleep on the ground nearby. Pulling the women over, he bent down and gently woke the man. "Did you manage to get everything finished?" He asked the groggy man while helping him to his feet.

The man grunted and stifled a yawn. "I don't know where we found the time, but we did. Managed to get you those appliances you asked for as well." Only then did the man notice the two women standing there, a smile spreading across his lips. "Might you be the ladies this young man spoke of yesterday?" Their blushes gave him his answer and he chuckled.

Natsu had to tap the man on the shoulder to get his attention once again. He slipped an envelope into the man's hand and forced the man to meet his black eyes. "I appreciate everything you have done, but when you get back to town you need lose the plans for this house." He held the man's eyes until he nodded. Natsu's whole demeanor changed in a single heartbeat as he once again thanked the man and watched him leave, waiting until the trees swallowed the man.

Holding the key in his hand, Natsu swiftly unlocked the door. He stepped back to let the women enter first since he already knew what the house looked like. The women slipped inside and stood in awe at what they saw. The entryway lead into a large room with a vaulted ceiling, a fireplace sitting on the far end of the room. The side wall opened to a long hallway, rooms littering either side of the hall. Each room had a good amount of space and a single window that stared out into the woods. One thing struck Mira as odd; all the rooms were the same. "No master bedroom?" She asked disappointed. Natsu grabbed her hand and took her to the end of the hall, directing her hand to the decorative wood that ran down the middle of the wall all around the hall. He stopped her and made her push on it. A small, almost silent, click sounded and a seam appeared out of the wall. A part of the wall itself slid soundlessly out of the way to reveal a set of stairs leading up into a much larger room. The room had twin walk in closets side by side on one end of the room while the other had a smaller walk in closet that the women could only assume was for him. The room was covered in windows, almost every part of the walls were covered. "One way windows, anyone from the outside won't know this room is even here." He explained leaning against the wall to watch them explore. It was the only room in the house that had a bathroom of its own. The bath alone was set into the ground and large enough for five people to sit side by side, plenty of room for the three of them.

Once they were happy with the room, he led them down the hall again, pointing out where the living room branched off for the kitchen and where the other bathrooms in the house were. Natsu lead them over to the last room, or rather the basement. It was several dozen feet deep with lights lining the walls. "For when we can't make it out we can use this room to train." The women looked at one another quizzically but let it go. Back upstairs Natsu pulled out a small book with the bank's symbol on the front and held it out to Lucy, but pulled it back just as she was about to take it. "This house took enough to make, whatever is left is for you two to furnish it." He sighed and handed the book over to the women. Lucy opened it and gasped at the indicated amount left before handing the book to Mira.

"Where did you get this money?" She asked accusingly. "As far as I knew, you had never used the bank in any of the years I have known you."

Natsu frowned and snatched the book away to look inside at the number. He looked up at the ceiling and started to count in his head, counting absently with his fingers on one hand before handing it back over. "Seems right to me. Funny how little you spend when you spend six years trying to get stronger. Without you, Gray, or Erza always needing to be in an inn all the time, money adds up."

Lucy slipped the book into the inside picket of her shirt, tapping it to make sure it was in  
place before looking back at Natsu. "We can send someone to get our belongings from our places and order everything before we head to the guild." Mira nodded in agreement to the idea. "As much as I like shopping, I can't help but see something is on your mind. Care to share?" She asked the Dragon Slayer.

Natsu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It is going to take some getting used to having you both in my head. But yes, I feel something... Like someone is watching us. Or me rather." He admitted. "The sooner you see what I have learned, the better so you won't question me on it if anything happens."

Mira shook her head. "We said it before. If anything happens, all of us will do something. Not just you. We are not weak women to be coddled." Natsu groaned. "Mavis help me when you two decide something needs to change..."

Finding the perfect look for their house had taken a lot longer than he had expected. Then it had lasted hours longer. While the two women were beyond happy they had purchased the last of the items, Natsu was worried about getting to the guild while there was light in the sky. Finally having enough, Natsu grabbed both women with a growl, throwing each over one of his shoulders. The women slammed against his back screaming to be let down. "Enough." He growled. His tone stopped them both, this was the first sign of anger he had shown anyone since he had come back. "Erza better still be there, or you two will pay for it later." He said, letting his anger fade away. He shouldn't take his frustration out on them, they would be angry enough by the time they got home for it to hold them back now.

Natsu kicked open the door to the guild and set the women down just inside as he searched for the scarlet haired woman. "Erza!" He called out once he found her. Turning to Lucy and Mira he folded his arms over his chest. "Who is the next strongest one?" He asked. The women shared a look and pointed to Mira. "Mirajane is still one of the strongest." Lucy said quietly, feeling her own weakness even more than ever. Natsu looked away from them immediately. "Pass. Who is next?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. "Why do I get the feeling that you don't believe I am still strong?" Mira asked coldly.

Natsu spun on her and grabbed her arm roughly. "Because I can't hurt you. Because I plan on fighting Erza and whoever else I have to to prove to everyone how important it is that you understand why I am so afraid." Letting go of her arm, he cast his glare over the guild. Finally he decided to just pick those that he knew were strong, calling over Gray and Gajeel since neither Laxus nor Gildarts were there again. Once he had them gathered he explained that he wanted them to test his strength.

Natsu handed his cloak to Lucy before walking a short distance from the guild before turning to the three people he had asked to help him. "Come at me together." He said in a low voice and preparing himself.  
Gray laughed and crossed his arms. "What makes you think you are the only one that got stronger?"

Natsu glared at the ice mage. "I didn't ask for excuses. Tell you what squinty, if you can even hit me I will admit you are better than me in every way."

Gray laughed again and threw himself forward, Erza and Gajeel launching them with him without another word.

"Shadow Flame Step." Natsu whispered a half second before the attack connected, back flames appearing where Natsu had stood just a moment before. Erza was quick to react, spinning her sword as she followed the Dragon Slayer slipping away. She threw herself forward and slashed at him. Natsu stepped around her blade and snapped his elbow down on her wrist to make her drop her sword. He jumped away from her when her other hand caught the blade and slashed at him. Natsu simply caught Gajeel's fist out of the air, using the Iron Dragon Slayer's momentum to throw him against a tree. Natsu moved in a blur as he crossed the distance between them, hitting the other in the stomach with a kick, cracking the tree as the force past through the Dragon Slayer.

Gajeel grunted at the hit, but grabbed Natsu's leg. Roaring he punched Natsu in the stomach then slammed the fire breather into the ground. "Iron Dragon Sword!" He yelled, transforming his hand as it descended. The blade slammed into the man on the ground, sending dirt and stone flying.

"Ice Make: Hammer!" Came a cry from the ice mage just a few feet away. The blunt weapon descended as well, sending dirt and ice flying. When the dust settled, Natsu wasn't lying under either of the two mage's attacks. "Shadow Flame Kick." The trees around then burst into black flames as Natsu launched from the darkness, cartwheeling into a kick that knocked Gajeel from his feet. Spinning  
on his palm Natsu grabbed Gray's leg with his free hand and pulled him to the ground. In a blur of movement, Natsu stabbed his feet into Gray's middle and caused the mage to cough up blood.

Erza chose that moment to throw herself again, but was grabbed out of the air by her throat from behind. She gasped as the arm started to block her ability to breath. She hadn't even seen him move. He grabbed her sword hand and wrenched it with his own until the blade of her sword was inches from her eye, unwavering despite the struggle she was putting up.

Feeling his grip on her wrist and throat let up slightly, she summoned her strength to pull from his grasp and slash at him. Again he was gone, not slipping away but gone. "Enough." Natsu said finally, ignoring the glare he was receiving from the scarlet haired mage. He stepped out of the trees again and pushed back his hood, exposing the scales along his face. "I can't even begin to fathom what you have been doing for the past six years to have improved so little." He knew his words were harsh, but he had to keep going or they wouldn't believe him. "This is like fighting a child. Or do you think I couldn't face you at your strongest?"

He barely felt the slap as Lucy hit him, his eyes turning to her. "I'm nothing compared to the ones that are after me. If I have to be blunt to get you all to be serious then I will." His words stung his own mouth as he said them, hoping she could at least feel a little bit of his pain through their bond. He hardened himself further, cringing mentally at his next choice of words because he knew how true they were. "If this is the best we have to offer, I will be dead in a week."

Giving a final look at Erza, who was helping Gray stand, he shook his head. "Don't let them die for my weakness. They shouldn't be a target after I'm dead." He said, pain dripping from his voice. He couldn't hide it anymore. Fear pierces him and he frowned, forcing his eyes closed. "I'm going home. I trust you all, but for once it won't be enough." Without waiting for a reply, Natsu turned on his heel and walked away.

Mira felt tears stain her cheeks as his words rolled over her. Despite what he had said, she could see he was pushing everyone away. He did not want anyone to get hurt because of the problems he had brought back with him. He knew he was going to die and was forcing everyone against him. He was leaving them again, if only remaining in the area physically. Maybe he hadn't changed much over the past six years.

Lucy walked over to Mira as everyone else went back into the guild. "I'm going home too. I don't want to give him the chance to run again." Mira nodded and took the blonde's hand, squeezing gently to take some of her strength.

By the time they reached the house Mira could feel the power radiating from the basement. They rushed downstairs to see him training down there like he said he would. She could barely keep up with him, watching his every move. He attacked faster, threw himself against an invisible enemy that wasn't really there. It took her just a few moments to realize he was crying. She hadn't moved, but somehow she was in front of him, grabbing his wrist through the flames around them. He dropped to his knees and looked up at her. "I'm not strong enough... The guild isn't even enough this time..." He whispered. His shoulders shook as fear gripped him stronger than ever. That itself was worse than the thought of him dying. She could never accept his death; he was too strong for it. But if he was as afraid of this, then it was enough for her. She steeled herself and put her hand against his cheek. "Are you willing to give up that easy? Are you willing to let us go just like that?"

Natsu grabbed her hand and shook his head. "I plan on fighting until death takes me." He looked over as Lucy joined them. "No. We plan on fighting until the end."

**As always, R & R please!**

**Any and all criticism is much appreciated!**


	9. Regrets

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**Keep in mind once again that I say things for a reason, but that doesn't mean that what looks like is going to happen will happen! Just keep an open mind!**

Soot stained the rough walls of the dark basement. The Dragon Slayer awoke leaning against said walls, his vest lying on the ground next to him. It was a rough start to the second day of training since he had challenged the three mages at Fairy Tail. With a grunt he pushed away from the wall, holding back further groans at the pain in his muscles. Taking a deep breath he pushed the discomfort out of his mind and focused on the task at hand. He bent down and retrieved the discarded clothing, noting that it was little more than tattered remains and felt a shudder roll down his spine at what Lucy would say to him if she found out. Since the day they had moved into the house she had tried to change Natsu's treatment of his clothes by making him pick up after himself. He could see that every time she brought it up, it was as if she was trying to distract herself from what he had kept saying, refusing to accept the fact that he had said he was going to die.

At the top of the stairs, Natsu found the two women sitting against the wall next to the door, still asleep. Before he could open the door he knew he would have to move them to get by. He couldn't help but think they had fallen asleep there on purpose, just to prevent him from leaving without them. He really wished they would just stay up in the room instead of doing this. The more time they spent together, the more possessive they had started to come over their mate, refusing to spend much time from his side unless they absolutely had to. 'Then again…' He thought, 'Maybe they think they can prevent it from happening…' He shook his head and found a small smile cross his lips.

Squatting down next to Lucy, he blew warm air against her ear. The blonde squirmed slightly, but otherwise was not affected. He inched closer until he was right against her ear, her hair the only thing preventing his lips from her skin, "Lucy I need you to wake up." He whispered. She stirred again, this time reaching out towards him subconsciously. Sighing to himself, he moved over between the two, slipped an arm under each woman's knees and leaned into them. At his touch, both women's eyes fluttered briefly and wrapped an arm around his back, pressing their heads to his shoulders to be closer to him. They tried to pull him down, but he leaned back, forcing them to tighten their grips on him to stay with him. Smiling, Natsu leaned back further on his heels and took their weight against his body.

He stood carefully to avoid dropping them despite the weakness in his limbs. The fact that he had to focus to hold them was more than enough to show how hard he had been pushing himself for the past two nights. His foot reached out and snaked around the door and opened it so he could finally pass. Taking his time, he took the two up to their room and sat them on the bed, gently leaning them back into the soft bed. As he walked away he saw that they had reached towards one another to cuddle so they could replace the warmth that he had taken away when he moved away from them. He started the shower and quickly removed his clothes, tossing them into the hamper at the corner of the room before stepping into the scalding water.

A small groan left the Dragon Slayer as he rolled his shoulders and felt the joints pop, relieving some of the tightness his back felt. He pressed his forehead into the cool tile of the wall and whispered a silent prayer to give him strength for his chat with the guild later. With a quick breath he grabbed a bar of soap and washed himself clean thoroughly. Without a thought, he dried his skin with a quick burst of flames. He could hear the women going through their wardrobes when he opened his own, pulling out a pair of baggy shorts and a one-sleeved long-sleeved shirt. Grabbing his scarf from the post he had set aside just for it and turned to the two women. They were standing there waiting for him; both dressed as if ready for a fight.

With a nod to them, he gestured for them to lead the way and followed them downstairs to the kitchen and took a seat at one of the high backed chairs at the dining table. He watched as the two women quietly made breakfast. He understood their quiet anger at him; he had pushed them hard over the past two days. After the issue with the guild had gone down, he had wanted to give them all a little time to calm down and had agreed with the two women when they had asked him to train with them. It had proved to be a good distraction for all of them, and wearing them out further helped his plans. The silence was killing him simply for the fact that he loved hearing the two women talk, loved seeing how their bodies flowed when they spoke. He had known the women were very expressive when they spoke, but hadn't known the extent until he had watched them specifically to see how they moved.

"Thank you, Mira." Natsu said finally breaking the silence when she brought him a plate of food. She gave him smile, and his heart soared. While it was a small smile, it was one she had only given him, affection swelling through the small gesture. She turned to leave but he grabbed her wrist, seeing her cringe slightly at the pressure he had pressed against her bruises. She let him pull her closer slightly so he could press his lips to her discolored skin. "Enough of this… Please…" He said, quietly. "I told you I hadn't meant to do it, and besides, at least she can still use it."

**-Flashback to previous day-**

Natsu danced back on the balls of his feet while Lucy tried using her whip to get her keys back from him. "You can't always depend on your celestial spirits, Luce!" He spat, ducking under the tip of her whip.

"If you would stop moving, I would have had them back already!" The blonde yelled back at him, snapping the whip at him in anger but missing by a wide margin.

"How many times have you seen me fight, did you even pay attention to the way I moved? Attack where I will be… Not where I am." He instructed. He dropped under another attack, spinning out of the way, only to be met with a sturdy leg to the side of the head. The attack flipped him over, causing him to skid along the ground on his back a few feet before he rolled to his feet.

Mira gave Lucy a small nod as the two threw themselves at him again, "We don't fight alone either." Lucy said as she lashed out with her whip while Mira threw her leg at him when he tried to dodge the whip. He quickly brought up his arm to block the kick, dangling the keys from his hand to her. Instead of reaching for them, she planted a hand and kicked with her other leg to dislodge the keys from his hand.

Rather than let the kick snap the keys in his grip, he let them leave his grasp. Rolling with the force of her kick, Natsu grabbed her ankle and threw her towards the celestial mage. The blonde brought up her hands in defense, catching Mira's hands in her own. The two spun and Mira landed just a few feet behind Lucy. Natsu smiled at the fact that they had gotten so in tune with one another after just a few hours of fighting against him. Lucy used the momentary lull in the fight to snatch up her keys.

In the blink of an eye, Natsu was once again on the attack. His fist descended as she snatched her keys from the air and just as he grabbed the keys from her, he heard the metallic sound of metal cracking. He instantly retreated a few steps as Lucy cried out.

Opening the pouch, Lucy noticed the thin crack running down Loke's key.

**-Present Day-**

"And I won't forgive you as easy as that." Lucy said sitting down across the table from him. She set two plates of food down, one for herself and another for Mira. "You almost lost my connection with Loke!"

Natsu groaned and shoveled a few spoonful of food into his mouth. "And how long do you plan on holding that over me? Just take it to one of Erza's blacksmiths; they should be able to reinforce it." He waved his spoon at her. "I need you behind me at the guild today... Both of you." Natsu looked over to Mira and gave her a slight nod.

Lucy sighed and waved her hand to dismiss the matter. "Whatever, just don't complain to me when they laugh you away."

The Dragon Slayer stood staring at the closed doors of the guild hall, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The two women didn't wait for him to get his nerves under control and pushed past him into the hall. The presence of the three was immediately noticed by most of the guild, a silence taking over once again. He grumbled under his breath that every time he showed up it caused another rift.

"Come to insult us again?" Erza's unique voice broke the silence, her anger palpable. The woman folded her arms across her armor, completely forgetting about her cake.

Groaning, Natsu raised his hands defensively and walked over to her, stopping just in front of the scarlet haired woman. "I came to apologize… And to try to explain why I went so far..."

"If you had simply beaten us, it would have been one thing. But to call us weak was too much Natsu. We weren't the ones that left out of the blue for six years." She snapped at him.

Fury flared in Natsu. "If I hadn't left, we wouldn't know what was coming for us. I came back to ask for help, not to fight." His fists clenched and he could feel his muscles strain to be released. "I never-" His words were cut off when a fist connected to the back of his head. He dropped his head down and shook it, his anger leaving him. He wasn't angry at them, he was angry at himself. "Look… I've never been good at this… But I need help."

"Idiot." Erza said quietly, slamming her gauntleted fist on the top of his head, denting the floorboards with his face. "Despite what you say about us, we are still a guild. We help our own. Now, you never explained what is after you. Start there."

And just like that, he felt like nothing had even happened between them. He still felt like a jerk for the way he had acted, but this was more important. "A dragon." He stated simply. "The Earth Dragon Sekena that the other Dragon Slayer had trained under. She was convinced Igneel was dead, but when I showed up thinking she was him… She decided to use me to pull him back from wherever he came."

"That still doesn't explain why you said she would kill you. If she needs you to call Igneel, then what good would killing you do?" Erza asked pointedly.

Lucy answered for him. "His death will bring Igneel back. Just as we are now bonded to him, he is bonded to Igneel through his power." Natsu nodded as she explained, glad he had confided in the two before dropping all of the information on them here. "Just as we notice when we lose parts of ourselves, Igneel will notice the disappearance of Natsu."

"And that might be enough to bring the Dragon back?" Erza asked hesitantly. "Then why are you afraid of her? Obviously you are plenty stronger now than you were six years ago, what would a Dragon Slayer have to fear from a Dragon?"

"She claimed him. He wouldn't take a mate of his own, so she set her claim to him. He denied her claims. And after he left, she was determined to find him once again." Natsu explained further.

Erza pondered it for a moment then waved her hand. "Then why aren't you dead already? If she wanted you dead, then how…?"

"I ran." He said simply. "I've been running for four years. I was with her and her apprentice for just under a month when she decided to try it…"

**-Four Years Prior-**

Natsu screamed as he slammed into the base of a tree, snapping clean through it. The velocity in which he was flying threw him through several trees before he finally rolled to a stop, lying on the ground shaking. Groaning in pain, he tried to force himself to his feet, but found his left arm was unusable after having dislocated it in his flight.

He danced backwards as pillars of stone shot up from the ground, barely stepping away each time as another shot straight at him. His eyes were wide with fear, searching for where the one attacking him from was sending their attacks. Flames covered his body when he turned to run, fueling his legs with strength to help him retreat. He dodged and twisted through the trees, sniffing for his enemy.

They hadn't trained like this before; it was far more aggressive than she had ever tried. A shadow appeared over him and he jumped backwards to avoid another pillar. Jumping on top of it, he launched himself with a cry towards the Earth Dragon that was trying to claim his life. '**Fool child.**' The Dragon said telepathically to Natsu, knocking him out of the air with a quick movement of her claw.

When Natsu's back slammed into the ground, he felt a snap of bones. 'No pain.' He thought to himself. 'Why don't I feel any pain?' His mind commanded him to move, but much to his dismay, he couldn't. He had enough trouble getting a breath in, but what little he had gotten was crushed from his lungs as a clawed paw pinned him to the ground. '**If you die, my beloved might come back to me.**' The Dragon thought again. '**Even if there is a chance… I have to take it. It is nothing against you, but you will never compare to Igneel.**'

The Dragon Slayer tried to scream when the claws dug into his skin, but his lack of air only left him gasping unsuccessfully. He looked up at the satisfied look on the Dragon that loomed over him and gave up, letting his body accept his death. He stopped fighting, there was nothing he could do against the Dragon standing on him, and maybe if he had finished his training with his own Dragon he could have stood a chance, but that wasn't about to change with his imminent doom.

'**Only a weakling would give up.**' A voice called in his head. '**I didn't raise a weakling.**' Natsu's eyes snapped open as he felt a foreign power swell within him. It struck him as odd that he could feel anything despite the crushing defeat that was looming over him. Black flames consumed the Dragon Slayer's view for a brief moment before he blacked out.

Natsu awoke with a gasp, cringing as if he should be in pain, only to find that he had none. He looked around him and found he was in a town, leaned up against a wall in an alley. His left arm still hung uselessly at his side and he stumbled to his feet. He still didn't know how he had gotten there, or where the black flames had come from, but he knew he had felt Igneel, if only for a brief moment.

**-Present Day-**

"I found out after her attack that Igneel is somewhere out there… And my black flames are from my near death experience… On the verge of the end it awoke something hidden in me." Natsu said quietly. "I would have been back sooner if I hadn't have had to find a way to mask my trail from her."

Mira stepped up next to him and raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused that he had kept some things from her. "Then how did she find you?" He met her eyes and smiled. "Because of you and Lucy. After taking her mark and giving you yours, I started calling out to other Dragon Slayers. Sekena's apprentice led her to us, and I can feel her getting closer. I can't but help think that Igneel is trying to warn me by telling me himself."

Erza sighed and shook her head. "It doesn't matter why now, all that matters is what do we do to stop this Dragon?"

"Well…" Lucy said stepping up as well. "Natsu has been showing us how to use his flames ourselves since they can't hurt us any longer… But we can't be around town when the Dragon decides to show up. Even if we manage to beat her, the town might not make it."

"So we are leaving town." Natsu said quickly. "Well, that's only partially true." He added, getting an odd look from the two women standing next to him. "How far would you go to protect someone in the guild, Erza?" He asked.

"That's a stupid question. I'd do anything for anyone here, especially if it meant it would protect them from harm." She said seriously, clenching her fist subconsciously.

"Good, that's what I was hoping to hear." He said with a laugh. Grabbing each of his mate's arms, he shoved the two women towards Erza. "Then protect them from me."

Mira and Lucy spun on Natsu angrily, both objecting heatedly at his sudden declaration. He cut them off with a glare, but it didn't stop them from stepping up to him and slapping him roughly. "You don't own us Natsu; you can't tell us what to do. We already went over this, we are going with you. If yo-"

He cut them off from their objections simply by smiling. "Wrong." His black eyes slowly took over the whites of his eyes until his eyes seemed to be made of black holes. "I don't plan on leaving you here. I just need Erza to keep you from me for the time being."

The women stepped back from him, fear scrolling across their faces at his eyes and sadistic smile. "If we wait, she will attack on her terms. We have to take advantage of the fact that she is on her way. I'll draw her to me; I'll be a beacon for her need. I have a plan, but you all have to trust me for the time being."

Natsu looked past the women at Erza and his smile vanished. "Keep them here until I call for you. Do whatever it takes to keep them here until then, even if they fight you." His body shook slightly, knowing he was telling the Knight-mage to hurt her friends if she had to. "Despite their training with me the past couple days, you should have enough strength to hold them." His look saddened and he closed his eyes. "I never should have called you weak. Without you, I never would have had the courage to grow to where I am today. Even now, I can't help but look up to you, seeing what you can do and I can't."

Mira reached out for him and he took her hand, kissing it gently. "Natsu... I…" He put a hand up before she could say anything further. "Tell me after tomorrow." His eyes wandered over to Lucy and his smile crept across his face once again. "Remember, your spirits can't always help you. Where I'm going, if you call one of your spirits, I won't stop until I sever that connection. At least for the next few days just to be safe. Nothing can be closer to you than me, we can't have that distraction." He smiled at the two women and quickly turned on his heel, not waiting to see if Erza would even agree to the idea.

**As always, R & R please!**

**And I know, I know, not much of a chapter. Been really busy with work this week.**

**Expect a good, lengthy chapter coming up within a few days!**

**If something has confused you, message me about it! I will explain what I meant and I can update the chapter to make it more understandable! Help me make this better by asking for clarification and such!**


	10. A Battle to the Death

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

The sun was just reaching the peak of the sky when the Dragon Slayer finally decided he was far enough away from Magnolia, having wound his way deep into the forest that surrounded the city. He felt it was enough, far enough that it would keep the Dragon from attacking the town if things got out of hand quickly, and at the same time was close enough that his lovers would be able to find their way to him without much trouble. The spot he had chosen was at the very edge of the tree line, just a few trees standing between him and open fields. He could see for miles and would be able to see the Dragon before it finally attacked. A strange sense of calm came over him as he drew a void within himself, emptying his mind of thoughts other than what he had to do to summon the threat.

Sucking in a deep breath, Natsu closed his eyes and released it slowly, forcing his fears down to a manageable level. His shoulders rolled forward pulling him into a slight hunch as his eyes peeled themselves open, revealing his black irises as they expanded to cover the whites of his eyes once more, leaving bottomless pits where his eyes should have been. Air swirled around him and he bent his arms at the elbow, palms facing the dirt below him. His usual flames sprung out around his body, singing the edges of his clothes slightly before he pulled them under control so as to not completely destroy what he was wearing.

A roar sounded in Natsu's ears before he realized it was his own voice that filled the silence around him. Lips peeled back from the Dragon Slayer's fangs and he threw his head back, letting out another thundering roar erupted from his throat. At the peak of his roar, a solid column of orange fire pierced the sky, scattering the low clouds that were in the way of its ascension. He held the roar for as long as his lungs would hold and clenched his fists as it came to an end, a small crunching sound coming from his hands as the scales rubbed over one another. He fed his power to the Dragon within him, the last part of his father that he still had left.

Color drained from both of the mages that sat on a bench at the back of the guild hall. "Natsu…" Mira whispered as she felt Lucy squeeze her hand. While they couldn't see what was happening, they could _feel_ the power emanating from the Dragon Slayer. Neither made a move to go towards it, but something in their eyes must have given it away. Erza seemingly appeared out of nowhere and put a hand on each of their shoulders, gripping gently. Even she could feel the ominous presence that threatened to overwhelm the guild. She shook slightly before steeling herself, wondering how much the Dragon Slayer had indeed grown over the past six years.

"He said he would call when he wanted you to come…" She said to the two, unsure if it was for their benefit or her own. Mira snapped her eyes to the knight mage and glared. "And what would you call this?" She snapped. Once again Lucy's hand calmed her. The blonde shuddered and had to close her eyes before she could answer though. "A beacon… He said he would become a beacon. That much we know…" Mira sighed and nodded in defeat, knowing that the woman was right. "We have to trust him for now. He will call for us… He has to…" Her words came out more as a plea rather than showing any sign of confidence.

Just as the power had suddenly attacked their wits, it disappeared. Everything about him disappeared. 'I can't feel him…' Lucy thought as her eyes widened. Her heart thundered in her chest, threatening to rip straight from her body. But it wasn't as if he was gone, but it wasn't _him_ she could feel any longer. She didn't know how to reason it, she knew it _was_ him, but at the same time, it wasn't. Someone, or something, had replaced his place within her. It felt wrong; nothing about it felt like the Natsu that she knew, the Natsu she loved. "It feels so…" She said quietly, not realizing she had spoken aloud.

"…Evil." Mira finished her thought for her, her free hand gripping the bench that they sat on. The two kept their eyes locked in the direction of the Dragon Slayer, but only stared at a wall. Fear slowly trickled over the two until Mira stood up and made to a move towards the door. Erza grabbed her wrist before she could make it more than a few steps. "Let me go." Mira growled, glaring daggers at the knight. Erza let go of her hand, but moved to block her way just the same.

"I don't care what he said, I can feel something wrong. We need to go to him." The take-over mage said quietly, trying to push back the other mage. Erza shoved the woman back. "He isn't going anywhere, we have to wait." Erza spat at her. "If you can't trust him enough to take what he says to heart, then how can you assist him when he needs your help?"

Mira shook with anger at the woman's words. A pair of thin arms wrapped around her shoulders before she could act upon her anger. She leaned forward against the arms, but couldn't bring herself to push them away. The woman behind her took a shaky breath, squeezing the white haired mage tighter. "This has to be what he said… 'Protect them from me.' Maybe this is what he meant…" Lucy whispered.

"And maybe this is how he said he would call to us." Mira snapped, spinning in Lucy's arms to look at the woman. She opened her mouth to continue her accusations but couldn't find the words at the sight of tears rolling down the blonde's cheeks. "He promised he wouldn't do this alone… He promised he would let us help him. For now, I believe he will really call us…"

Clenching his teeth shut, the Dragon Slayer hunched his shoulders forward again, letting the spire of fire die out around him. The blackened earth below his feet cracked at the sudden change in heat. The trees around him had turned into blackened husks of their once great existence. Fear threaded through his link and he shut them out of him mind, a low rumble emitting from his chest as he growled. Silence surrounded him, his ragged breathing the only thing he could hear. A single _thump_ could be heard in the distance, too far for his eyes to see clearly what had made the sound.

Every fiber of his body told him to run, to get away while he still could. But he wasn't in control any longer, only a shell of his conscious thoughts remaining. The only reason his body stood there was because he knew his target was homing in on him. He wasn't running any longer. He didn't know if he would indeed die here or if he would escape the reaper's clutches, but it would be decided here.

His eyes caught the object of the sound breaking through the clouds just a few miles from where he stood. Every pump of the Dragon's wings brought it several thousand feet closer, closing the distance between the two at a frightening speed.

Squatting down, Natsu felt his muscles coil, straining to be released. As the earth below him started to rumble, Natsu released his legs with explosive strength, feeling himself rip through the air. Wind screamed past him as he shot at the Earth Dragon, "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He cried out loudly, fire erupting from his mouth to close the distance between them.

Sekena tucked her wings tight to her body and dove under the attack. Without losing any of her speed she spun out of the descent, releasing her own roar at the Dragon Slayer as he fell from the sky. Rocks slammed into Natsu a half second before he brought his arms in front of himself. His scales deflected a portion of the attack, but the sheer force of the roar sent the mage flying back. Natsu spun in the air, his feet landing pushing off a tree to change the angle of his fall, dodging past another roar by mere inches.

'**Give up Dragon Slayer, you cannot outlast a Dragon.**' Sekena spat at him mentally.

Natsu slid on the ground, his feet digging trenches as he slid. "No wonder Igneel denied you." He called out. "He would never stoop so low as to accept someone as weak as you."

Anger flashed in the Dragon's eyes as it dove at him. Natsu ran to the side of the attack, leaping at the last moment and pulling himself into a tight ball as a large claw lashed out under him. The attack scraped over his clothes, ripping down his back sharply. No sooner that the claw was out of the way than did a spike spring from the ground up at him. "**Fire Dragon's Claw!**" Fire sprung out at his ankle, shattering the hardened earth before it could touch him.

Planting his feet, Natsu reached up just as the Dragon's claws speared at him. He caught the attack between his hands, but was knocked off his feet as the stabbing motion turned into a step, pushing the Dragon Slayer onto his back. The ground shattered under the force of the attack, blood shooting up from his lips. Natsu had a brief flashback of the first time he had been in this situation, fear gripped him for a moment before confidence surged through his veins.

The Dragon pulled it's claw back once again, launching it forward to stab him. "**Shadow Flame Step.**" He whispered when he felt the claw leave his chest briefly. Claws stabbed the ground where Natsu had briefly been, her eyes trying to follow his escape.

"**Shadow Flame Kick!**" Sekena spun around to see black flames slam into her snout, sending her reeling a few steps. She swiped with her claws, but caught only air once again. He was fast, but his attacks didn't affect her that much. It only served to annoy her further when her attacks failed to meet their mark. The change in his flames only seemed to make him faster instead of stronger. Slowly though, she found she could read his movements, seeing the pattern he was using to move away from her. Her attacks got ever closer, claws scraping along his clothes. Her hardened spike served only to slow him down, launching up in the way of his retreat instead of trying to pierce him.

Lucy let go of Mira with a cry, both of them grabbing her mark. The two shared a look and a nod. They couldn't wait for his summons any longer; they could feel the pain in his mark. Either the Dragon had shown up, or something was wrong with his plan. They started to run towards the door, but a wall of steel stopped them briefly. Erza stood between them and the door once again, swords surrounding her, all of them pointed at the two mages. "Don't make me hurt you." The knight threatened, brandishing her blades.

"**Take Over: Satan Soul!**" Mira cried out, her body flashing briefly as the soul changed her appearance. She threw herself forward, spinning in the air towards Lucy. The celestial mage caught on immediately as to what she was offering and lashed out with her whip at the take-over mage. The tip wrapped tightly around Mira's wrist and she grabbed the heavy leather rope, pulling roughly, using her momentum to further force the celestial mage forward.

Erza's eyes widened as the celestial mage was thrown at her and turned the tips of her blades away so as not to hurt her. Silently thanking Natsu for pushing her so hard to learn how to fight without her spirits, Lucy grabbed the knight's wrists and fluidly spun a kick into Erza's side. The knight lost her balance and moved to counter but was met with a kick to the side of her head from Mira. Erza flew to the side, her swords faltering for a second.

Erza quickly jumped to her feet, ready to continue the fight. She jumped back as Lucy's whip licked at her face. Sucking in a deep breath, she covered her face at the sight of fire jumping off the edge of the leather tip. When her eyes opened both mages were already kicking down the doors, sending wooden splinters in every direction. She stood stunned, barely able to believe how fluid the two's attacks had been. She was sure that the two had never even fought together before. 'Just what kind of training did Natsu put them through?' She wondered to herself, deciding it better to not give chase to the two.

**-Flashback 2 days-**

"Faster!" Natsu screamed, deflecting Mira's attack with his forearm, grabbing her elbow with his hand to pull her past him. Lucy used the brief moment he was distracted to crack her whip at his chest. Twisting to the side, he carried Mira's momentum and threw her behind his back at the blonde.

Lucy raised her hands to catch her friend from the air, but couldn't react fast enough. The take –over mage flew past her outstretched arms. Mira however, reacted faster, grabbing the thin piece of leather hanging in the air near Lucy's fist. She clenched her teeth as the leather burned into her skin, but didn't let go. Lucy spun with the mage and had to grab the handle with both hands to keep from losing control of it.

The whip snapped taunt, almost causing Lucy to lose her footing. Grunting with effort, the mage locked her muscles, bringing her partner to a complete stop. Without giving them a chance to recover, Natsu jumped at the two, throwing a fist at Lucy. Once again, Mira's reactions were faster than the blonde's, pulling the whip roughly and in turn pulling the blonde from her feet and in her direction. The blonde screamed in surprise, but reached out towards Mira with her free hand, this time the two caught one another's wrists, spinning slightly to bring Lucy to her feet safely.

A sly smile crossed Lucy's lips as Mira once again pushed off her feet at the Dragon Slayer. "Mira!" She screamed, seeing Mira peak over her shoulder without taking her eyes off Natsu. Mira caught the smile a half second before the whip snapped in front of her eyes. She was still several feet from the Dragon Slayer, but took the chance and spun in the air, gripping the tip of the whip. She tried pulling on the whip, but it wasn't enough and it slipped from her grasp before she could get a good grip on it. Too dedicated to grabbing the whip, Mira crossed the distance to Natsu, unable to change her course.

She slammed into his chest with her shoulder and felt his arms encircle her. Dust clouded around them as the Dragon Slayer set her down. "You have the right idea. When you aren't fast enough to catch your opponent, work together. When you aren't strong enough, attack at the same time. Whittle them down, don't just try to take them down in a single attack, no one can take hits forever."

Mira sighed and slumped forward, her body crying out for a break. Natsu wasn't about to let the two rest though and jumped away from the woman. "Now that you get the idea, I won't have to hold back as much."

**-Present Day-**

Natsu gasped as rock hard claws dug into the scales on his side and grabbed one of them, rotating around them to throw himself at the Dragon again. "**Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!**" He aimed his attack at the Dragon's eye hoping to momentarily blind the fearsome creature. It roared in pain and shoved off the ground, spreading it's wings to keep itself afloat.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!**" He cried out as he jumped from the ground, flames shooting out from his feet to launch him at the Dragon above him. A smile spread across the Dragon's snout, showing it's razor sharp fangs. '**Foolish child.**' It thought at him before roaring down at the Dragon Slayer. "**Fire Dragon's Roar!**" He cried out, trying to deflect the attack before it reached him. The two attacks collided and a shockwave spread across the tops of the trees where the attacks fought for dominance. Time seemed to slow as Natsu's attack was overpowered and the beam threatened to overwhelm him.

A voice called out to the Dragon Slayer from the forest just beyond the clearing. "Natsu!" His eyes widened at the recognition of the combined voice crying out for him. A small smile crossed his lips and he turned his head to look at the two. He reached out a hand towards them, hoping his plan would work. He closed his eyes and braced himself as time caught up to him, the attack finally slamming into him.

Both women screamed at the sight of their Dragon Slayer crashing into the ground, blood spraying from his mouth and his flames dying out around him. Silence surrounded the clearing only the occasional thump from the Dragon's wings heard. Neither of the women moved, unable to take their eyes from the fallen Dragon Slayer. "**Take Over: Satan Soul Halphas.**" Mira whispered, her entire appearance changing dramatically. Featherlike wings shot from her back and her ears extended, blue scales covering them entirely. Her once black tail was replaced by a blue scaling tail, gauntlets and tall boots appeared over her forearms and legs.

Fire slid down Lucy's left arm, coiling tightly over her wrist and whip that lay coiled on the ground as it hung from her clenched fist. Her right hand gripped roughly over her keys hanging at her hip. She knew Natsu had told her not to summon any of them, but the mage couldn't stand back and watch as her mate laid there. She felt her own heart stop briefly before both Mira and herself raced forward.

Lucy's speed was nothing compared to the blinding speed of Mira's demon soul. Mira threw herself in the air to block the next attack that the Dragon spat at Natsu. "**Demon Blast!**" A large ball of dark energy sprung from her extended hands, hitting the second Dragon's Roar as it tried to destroy what was left of Natsu's beaten body.

"**Summon Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!**" In a puff of smoke, Virgo appeared before Lucy and took in the entire scene. "Get Natsu back." Lucy commanded. Virgo nodded and disappeared into the ground, leaving a hole where she had been standing. Something inside Natsu caused him to flinch when Virgo grabbed him by his scarf and drug him underground into her hole, only to move him just beyond the clearing.

Meanwhile, Lucy had thrown herself back into the fight, trying to back up Mira. Mira threw her hand back the same instant Lucy cracked her whip forward, once again wrapping the leather around her wrist. The fire surrounding the whip didn't cause any sort of reaction from the take-over mage as she screamed at the effort to bring the blonde's weapon around, effectively launching her further into the air at the Dragon.

As Lucy's body flew past her, Mira snapped her wings to follow her towards the Dragon. The Dragon's jaw opened to release another attack, but was snapped shut when Mira's fist connected with it's snout. Lucy snapped her whip around the Dragon's snout to hold it closed, fire singeing into the scales wherever it touched. The Dragon reeled back, tucking itself into a steep dive more out of surprise than pain from the two women's attacks.

A gasp left the celestial mage's throat quickly at the sudden closure of her gate with Virgo and her eyes darted over to where she had felt the spirit. A pink cloud surrounded the area in which she looked, but quickly dissipated when a mixture of black and orange flames erupted from the center of them. Her breath caught when she saw Natsu standing there, blood dripping down his chin and a pair of handcuffs dangling from his fist before they too evaporated into the air. There were several spots where Natsu's scales had been ripped from his body in the previous attacks he had taken, his shirt only a tattered remains of what it had been that morning.

Their eyes met for only a brief second before a gauntleted hang grabbed her shoulder to pull her back, just enough to avoid a spire of rock from the ground. The Dragon had regained it's senses and was back on the offensive. It tried to force it's jaws open, but the whip held in place with the fire strengthening the hold.

Mira jumped in front of it, catching it's attention momentarily. Spears shot from the ground at the take-over mage and she had to jump back to avoid them, her hands coming up in front of her. "**Soul Extinction!**" A dark orb of energy launched out from her hands like a beam through the spears of earth to attack the Head of the Dragon.

"**Dragon Slayer's Secret Art! Crimson Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!**" Natsu's own attack spun from behind Mira, circling around her to combine with her attack.

In a roar of pain, the Dragon was blacked out from sight with the attack. The three mages stood, breathing heavily to see what would happen, waiting to see what effect their attacks would have on the legendary being.

The light faded from where the attack had met the Dragon to show a blackened forest floor. '**Stupid humans. You can't defeat me when I am surrounded by my element.**' Came a weak voice. A sudden crack rippled from the ground and the Dragon stood up, bearing it's fangs at the trio.

The Dragon stepped forward towards the three, but buckled forward as it tried to swipe at them, crashing to the ground below it. Lucy stepped beside the other two and looked over at Mira. "We don't have to kill it. We have another option." She stated quickly. "Mira, take it's soul into yours."

"Hold it down." Mira agreed, launching herself forward and onto the Dragon's snout, looking the weakened being in the eyes as she let her Demon's Soul fade from her body.

Natsu blurred to it's side, slamming his fists into the ground and spreading flames across the ground around the Dragon before they leapt over it's limbs to hold it in place. Lucy grabbed her whip from where it sat on the ground and wrapped it around it's snout once again, trying to keep it from releasing it's roar a final time.

A dark aura surrounded the take-over mage as her blue eyes drew the Dragon's towards her. A shockwave split across the ground and the Dragon turned golden, slowly evaporating into the air. Before Mira finished absorbing the Dragon, Natsu's brief surge of energy failed him, his fires dying out as he collapsed in a heap.

'**You can't hope to control me, human…**' The Dragon's voice whispered as the last of it disappeared into Mira's body. '**If I can't have the King, I'll take the Heir.**'

Mira collapsed back into Lucy's arms with a groan, her magical energy depleted after her take-over. The two looked over at the unconscious Dragon Slayer and sighed in relief, glad it was over.

"How are we supposed to explain this to master?" Lucy asked with a laugh. "I'm not too sure he is going to be happy that you used your Halphas Soul again…"

"Let's get back to the guild… I don't want anyone worrying any longer than they have to." Mira responded, trying to force herself to her feet, only barely able to accomplish the task.

Lucy stumbled against the door to the guild, the Dragon Slayer weighing heavily on her back. She glared over at the take-over mage who was barely able to keep up on her shaky legs. Mira stepped up beside the two and pushed on the door, only to cause the blonde and pinkette to fall through when it opened. A sickening thud sounded through the guild as Natsu bounced off the ground before sliding down the steps to the main floor of the guild. "We're home everyone…" Mira said, flashing a smile from the doorway.

A rush of people ran at the trio, questions flying in from every direction. Wendy was the first to appear at their sides, Romeo a step behind her as he reached for Natsu's limp body. Lucy was just getting to her feet with Levy's help when she saw a smile spread over Natsu's lips. His eyes opened to catch hers when Romeo helped him to his feet. He wasn't able to put any weight on his limbs, but as Wendy's magic spread through him, his eyes started to regain the usual shine they had to them. The color in his cheeks stayed a pale white and he sagged once again, barely keeping his consciousness as Wendy's magic worked across his body healing the worst of the damage he had taken.

"We need to wrap his wounds; otherwise he just needs some rest for a few days." Wendy explained. "We can take him up to the infirmary until he is better, that way we can keep a close eye on him."

Wendy and Mira shook their heads to deny the offer and were about to voice their thoughts when Erza pushed to the front of the crowd. "It's for the best; you two don't look too good yourselves. Maybe you should…" Her words were cut off when the two women glared at her.

"Thank you, but no. We just came by to let you know everything is okay for now. We will explain later what happened, but for now we are headed home." Mira said, pushing away from the wall. "Help us carry him, Gray." She said commandingly to the ice mage.

"Yeah? And why wou-"His words stopped short when Lucy tried to take Natsu's weight from Romeo. She didn't look inclined to ask for any help as her arm wrapped around the Dragon Slayer's waist to hold him to her.

Natsu looked over at the ice mage and smiled wickedly. "Seems you turned out to be the weak link to the group... Lucy took on a Dragon and still has enough left to help me get home…" His words barely came out a whisper, but the implication was as plain as day. The Dragon Slayer ground his teeth in pain as he tried to walk with Lucy, his legs shaking under him all the way to the door.

The ice mage folded his arms over his chest and glared at the pink haired man leaving the guild. "At least I don't have to be carried home, flame brain."

Natsu looked back over his shoulder at Gray one last time, "You have a woman of your own, don't be jealous you can't be this close to what's mine." A smile crossed his lips as his eyes closed, the last of his strength leaving his body causing him to collapse against the two women that were trying to walk him home.

**As always, R & R please!**

**The following chapter may take me a few extra days to get out; I am having trouble putting the right words down with it. I have already rewritten this chapter three times. Please tell me what you think of my story thus far! Yes I know, probably a pretty predictable ending to this chapter, but it's my story and this is how I wanted it to end. **

**And no this is not the final chapter; it is far from the last chapter.**


	11. Rekindling Their Love

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**So everyone knows, I am trying to put out a new chapter every 4-5 days, hopefully less. That is from the last time I post a chapter in THIS FanFic. **

A sharp pain drew Natsu from the depths of his sleep, his breath catching in his throat. He clenched his teeth until he could bear the pain long enough to let his breath out, only realizing then that his back had arched off the bed. He sagged back in relief, casting his eyes around to see what exactly had awoken him in the first place. The sunlight peeking into the room told him that it was the middle of the day. A familiar smell flooded his senses, a combination of both vanilla and lavender. He followed his nose to pinpoint where the two were and fount that they had brought up a pair of chairs to sit on the opposite side of the bed from him as if they were afraid they would hurt him had they stayed with him.

Both were asleep, leaning against one another to stay upright. He smiled slightly at the sight, knowing that his pain had not originated from either of the mages. Letting out a small sigh, he pushed himself into a sitting position and slid back until he felt the cool wood of his headboard against his bare back. Leaning his head back against the wall, he caught movement off to his right, a flash of blue that tried to hide from his eyes.

The Dragon Slayer chuckled when the intruder let out a soft whine, peaking just past the edge of the bed up at him. "Natsuuuu?" Happy's eyes were filled with pain at seeing what he had caused his friend. The smile slowly diffused the regret from the cat until he threw himself at his adoptive father to land on his chest and have the Dragon Slayer wrap an arm around him weakly. "It's alright, Happy." He said, coaxing the cat to quiet down as to not wake the sleeping women.

"I didn't know if you were going to come back this time." Happy said sadly.

Natsu patted the cat's head again. "You can thank those two for that. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to come back at all." In talking with the Exceed, Natsu failed to notice that Lucy had woken up and was trying to move Mira's still asleep body.

"But you said it yourself; it's their fault you were put into that situation." Happy whispered, causing Lucy to stop where she was as regret coursed through her.

Natsu flicked Happy's forehead and picked him up by the scruff of his neck to bring him to eye level. "Just because you aren't happy that I left without notice six years ago doesn't give you right to place blame on whomever you see fit. Sekena is to blame here, not Lucy or Mira. Her wish to see Igneel again was what caused this. In a way, it was for the best." Natsu looked over at the celestial mage and smiled, giving her a slight wink. "Without her, I wouldn't have seen exactly what I was fighting for."

The celestial mage smiled at his words as she made her way across the bed to kneel next to his side. "How do you feel, Natsu?" She asked, running her hand over his bandages that wrapped down his left arm and left side causing him to flinch slightly. Her smile brought tears to her eyes at seeing him in this state, her emotions conflicted within her. On one side, she couldn't be happier that he was alive while on the other hand she wanted to cry at the fact that she hadn't been strong enough to protect him.

"I'll live." He commented, setting Happy down next to him before pulling the woman over to him, wrapping his arms around her thin waist ignoring the pain as his body protested his movements. "Happy?" He continued. "Can I have a few minutes to talk with Lucy?"

The Exceed lifted himself off the bed with his wings and hovered there for a moment. "I'll come by tomorrow to see how you are doing." Happy said quietly before making his way over to the stairs, giving one last look over his shoulder.

"Won't you think about staying?" Natsu asked over Lucy's shoulder. "We have more room here than we can think to use right now. I miss having you around. Just think about it." He said as the Exceed nodded and left through the door, the wall sealing seamlessly behind him.

"He wouldn't leave your side while you were out." Lucy said pulling back from him to look at the closed door to their room.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days since we left the guild." She said shaking her head. "Why didn't you call for us earlier?" She asked looking back into his eyes. "We could have helped earlier."

Natsu smiled and raised his right hand to her cheek, circling his thumb over her soft skin. "I never planned on calling you. You had to be ready to give everything up to be of any help. That's why I had Erza hold you back."

Lucy hit his shoulder at his comment, causing him to groan in pain. She immediately regretted the action, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, pressing her head into the crook of his neck. "Sorry…" She mumbled against him. She jumped slightly when he kissed her shoulder. "I'm sorry I worried you Luce."

A few minutes passed with the two holding one another to let their worries wash away through their contact. Lucy pulled away after a moment and leaned towards Mira, who had shifted to lay across the two chairs in her sleep. Natsu grabbed her hand before the blonde woke the sleeping mage. "Let her sleep for a little longer…." She turned to look back at him, her brow furrowed at him questioningly. "Just stay with me for a little while longer…"

She let him pull her back over to him and into his lap with her knees on either side of his hips. She smiled down at him before pressing her lips to his gently. She moaned against him as the heat of his lips washed over her. She quickly pulled back from him though, not wanting to take it too far with how much pain he was in. Her body tried to pull back as well, but was quickly pulled up against him, his right hand flowing into her blonde hair to pull her lips back against his. She succumbed to his advances, melting against his body as they tried to get closer to each other.

He took his time to let his right hand move through her hair feeling the silky texture of her strands. The muscles of his left arm strained against him when he moved it, sliding it down her side to her hip. Slowly, he deepened the kiss, his tongue trailing over her lower lip to request permission to go further with her. She gave it, opening her mouth and sliding her tongue to meet his, shuddering at the feel of his tongue and the taste of his mouth against hers.

The kiss intensified with every passing moment, Natsu caressing his tongue along the insides of her mouth to taste everything she had to offer. He wanted more, wanted to push farther with her, needed to feel every part of her body against his own. She pulled back from the kiss suddenly, pushing back against his shoulders. "No." She said quietly after having felt his need for her ripple through their bond. "We can't just yet. You aren't strong enough yet... Besides…" She said looking over at their sleeping comrade. "It wouldn't feel right with her still asleep… Or with the possibility of her waking up to catch us…"

Natsu smiled and pulled her hands from his shoulders to pull her to him once more, but kissed her cheek and trailed gentle kisses along her jaw to the base of her ear, licking the outer rim to leave a trail of burning saliva along her skin. "Don't stop me, I can tell you want this as much as I do." He whispered before sucking her earlobe between his teeth and biting slightly before letting it go. A soft whine left her lips at the sudden release. "For once I will let you take charge, only if you promise you can keep quiet." His voice came out in a low growl, rumbling from his chest.

His rough voice sent shivers down her spine and she ground her hips against his. "That doesn't sound like a no to me." He whispered. She arched her back against him again, grinding against his growing length. "Let me take care of you, then." She answered. "Let me show you what you would miss if you ever decide to pull another stunt like the other day." She locked her hands into his pink locks and pressed her lips to his, forcing her tongue into his mouth.

Natsu slid his hands under the hem of her shirt to feel the silky skin beneath his fingers. He stopped briefly as her lips left his only to once again find purchase on his neck. He drew a shaky breath and continued his way up her shirt plucking at the buttons. His impatience to get her undressed finally won out over his concern for her clothes as she pulled the two sides of her shirt quickly apart, sending her buttons flying in every direction. She giggled against his neck, dropping her arms from him to let the cloth fall from her body, leaving her bare from her waist up.

She pulled back just enough to give their hands a place to explore once again, tracing her fingers along his muscles gently, careful to avoid pressing too much pressure to his wounds. He let his hands find their own way up her flesh until he felt the large swells of her breasts under his skin. She moaned audibly, renewing her efforts to reach her goal. She looked down between them and smiled at the sight of his erection poking out from the top of his boxers in an attempt to be free of his clothing. She happily obliged, pulling his elastic waistband down his legs until she got sight of what she really wanted. She pulled back from his fingers, biting her lip in order to prevent her sounds from escaping her lips.

She took hold of his throbbing member in her soft hand, feeling it twitch in her grasp. She slid down his body, trailing kisses down him, paying special attention to the areas that caused him to move against her. She held his eyes until he bucked against her hand. "Luce…" He whispered hoarsely. Her hand gently slid up and down his erection, running her thumb over his tip slowly with her free hand. Lowering her head to him, she ran her tongue along the pulsing vein up to the tip. She teased him, pushing him until he started to move against her and would stop, looking up at him until he stopped.

"Please…" He moaned. She conceded, lowering her lips to take him into her mouth. She caught herself moaning at the taste of him and swirled her tongue around the tip while her hand slid up and down the base of his erection. Listening to the sounds of her lover's breathing speed up. A swell of confidence washed over her and she removed her hand from him, pressing her hands against his taunt stomach while she dipped lower on him trying to take as much of him as she could. She barely got half of his length into her before her gag reflex started to kick in before she pulled back, gasping for air.

Delving back down onto him, she bobbed her head up and down on him, stopping briefly every so often to get another breath. "Don't stop…" He moaned, clenching his fists into the sheets so as to not force her deeper onto him. "I'm going… I'm going to cum Luce…" Feeling him throb in her mouth, she pulled away to keep him from reaching his climax. She pushed her way up his body, dragging her bare chest along his rough skin.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her against him roughly, claiming her mouth with his. "You're such a tease." He whispered when they parted, moving his hand down her hips and under her short skirt. "You are going to regret this, I promise you that." He smiled through his words and kissed her painfully gently. His hands traced over the lace edges of her panties before he burnt them off, tossing the remains away from them.

Lucy reached down between them and took ahold of him before aligning him with the entrance to her core. He moaned against her lips, feeling the heat radiating from her that was strong enough to rival the heat his own body gave off. She stopped just before she let him slide inside her and pulled away from his lips. "Beg me for it." She whispered lustfully, biting her lip.

Natsu moaned at her command, pressing his lips to her collarbone where he had left his mark, enjoying this side of Lucy. "Please, Luce… I _need_ to be in you."

Lucy didn't wait to hear anything else, lowering her body over his erection until he filled her completely. The blonde was barely able to stifle her moan as her lover latched his lips over her breast. He left his hurt left hand against her waist while his other lifted up to her lonely breast, massaging the soft skin between his fingers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into her chest further.

The celestial mage increased her movements over him, raising herself up just to slam herself down on him again. She dropped her head to his shoulder, biting down on one of his muscles to hold bake her mewls. Natsu pulled away from her breast only to kiss the sensitive skin under her ear. "I'm about to cum Luce… just a little more."

"Mmmmm…" She moaned against his shoulder, feeling her own climax building inside of her. "I want it inside of me…" She whispered seductively to him. Her words ended in a squeak of surprise when he wrapped an arm around her waist and rolled them over so she was lying on her back with him over her, thrusting his hips into hers.

She looked up into his eyes and saw his raw need for her through the pain that covered his features. She opened her mouth to complain about their sudden change in position and found a cry of passion coming from her lips instead. "Naaat… suuuuu…." She moaned, moving her hips in time with his. His eyes were locked on her chest, watching her breasts move with the force of his thrusts. He ignored the pain, relishing in the feeling of her walls encasing his length.

Not soon after they had moved did his thrusts start to become more erratic, less coordinated. She arched into him with a scream, being unable to hold her voice back any longer. "Natsuuuuuu!"

Natsu thrust into her twice more before the tightness of her walls threw him over the edge and he pushed himself deep within her, filling her with his seed. "Lucy!" He moaned. Feeling the hot seed fill her caused her climax to continue, causing her body to lock up rigidly against him.

The two heard a small gasp from the woman next to them and only then did the blonde remember that Mira sat not three feet from them. "I hope I'm not interrupting." Mira said quietly, a bright red blush crossing her cheeks.

Natsu smiled and bent to give Lucy another passionate kiss before rolling off of her into a sitting position, holding his left shoulder as he cringed. Looking over at the white haired mage, he smiled and pushed his way over to her. She met him halfway, pressing her lips to his. She smiled at the familiar feeling of him, at the uncomfortable warmth of his body before he flinched under her grasp when her hand pressed his shoulder back to put him on his back. She pulled away and pouted. "It isn't fair Natsu; you shouldn't have pushed yourself so far…."

Natsu grabbed her wrist and kissed the palm of her hand. "Don't hold yourself back on my account, I won't stop that easily." He said winking and pulling her down with him again, only to have her stop him anyways.

"I want you to be able to enjoy yourself, not force yourself for my sake." She said finally leaning down to lie next to him with her head on his chest. Lucy pulled herself over next to the two and smiled sheepishly over at the other woman. "Sorry we woke you…"

Mira shook her head and trailed a hand down Natsu's chest. "If he wasn't as hurt as he is now, I would have joined you. But next time…" She warned. "Don't try anything without me." Natsu laughed gently before pushing the three of them up into a sitting position. "Thanks to you two, there will be a next time…"

"About that…" Mira said quietly, pulling her legs under her. "I can sometimes still hear the Dragon talk to me…" Natsu spun to look at her, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"What do you mean you can hear her talk to you?" He asked.

"She warned me that if anything happens to you, she would make me regret it… I don't know what she means by it, but it has me a little worried… No soul I have taken has been able to talk to me before, let alone think freely outside of my own will…"

Natsu looked past her out the windows and thought hard about what she was saying, wondering exactly what it would mean if she tried to use the Dragon's soul in a fight, or at all for that matter. "Maybe it would be best that we didn't tell anyone about this until we figure out exactly what is going on. Maybe Master Makarov can help us further…" He offered. The two women nodded and watched as the Dragon Slayer slid to the edge of the bed and stood up on unsteady feet, ready to help him if he needed it. "Why don't we get cleaned up? I'm sure everyone is worried enough as it is with our sudden departure."

xXxXxXxXxXx

It hadn't taken more than an hour for the three to get showered and dressed and they found themselves at the table next to the kitchen where Natsu had his shirt off and Mira was rewrapping his wounds. His left arm had a long gash down it, the skin having turned a bright red in its attempt to heal while his left side had fared far worse. His side had stitching across his ribs. They had told him that he had broken a few of his ribs in the fight, but Wendy had put them back together with her magic.

Lucy sat across the table from the two, laying her keys out in front of her to inspect them, especially the gate key that linked the lion to their world. When she reached Virgo's key, her hand recoiled from it with a cry. She tentatively picked it back up and tried to call the spirit, but she didn't come. This worried the blonde because she hadn't called her since the fight with Sekena.

Then she remembered what she had seen with Natsu after the spirit had been called to help them. She looked up at Natsu with a glare and stared at him. "What did you do to Virgo?" She asked accusingly.

Natsu avoided her eyes and clenched his hands on the table, a snarl appearing across his lips. "I did exactly what I said I would. I warned you not to summon any of your spirits when you came to me, that I wouldn't be able to control what I did."

She waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she pushed her chair back roughly and grabbed his collar. "What did you do to her?"

Natsu looked up into her eyes briefly before looking away again. "I ripped her apart…. I tore her arm from her body before she could flee back to the spirit world… But the main thing I did was make her afraid to come back whenever I am around… That side of me, the side of me that I can't control… I wanted to break her connection to this world no matter what it took."

Lucy sat there stunned at his confession and gripped the key tightly to her, trying to call the spirit once more. When the spirit refused to show, she frowned and held her key up. "**Force Open: Gate of the Maiden: Virgo.**" She commanded, casting her hand out in front of her.

A bright golden light filled the room as the spirit appeared in front of the celestial mage before shrinking back from the Dragon Slayer. "W-what does my master wish of me?" She said hastily, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"How are you feeling Virgo? Are you healing well?" Lucy asked, reaching a hand to the spirit, but seeing the spirit tense up forced her to let her arm drop again.

"Virgo is fine, master. Please do not worry about me. I will not be a burden; I will do as is asked of me." The spirit said quietly, bowing her head.

Natsu sighed and stood up, walking over to the spirit and putting an arm on her shoulder, ignoring the fact that the spirit visibly shook from his touch. "Virgo, I'm sorry for what I did. I wasn't in control of myself… When Lucy summoned you, something inside me snapped. I was moments from death and couldn't accept the fact that someone could be as close as you were to Lucy at that moment. The bond you shared with her was more than I could handle, I had to end it then and there before you got any closer to her."

Virgo stood with her eyes closed, waiting for him to snap again. After a few tense moments, she visibly calmed down and looked up at the Dragon Slayer then over to her Celestial Master. "It was the first time Mistress has allowed me punishment. It wasn't as pleasant as I had wished, but maybe it was better than none at all…" Virgo bowed to Lucy once more. "If mistress will allow me, I would take my leave. I will answer your call without hesitation." With that a pink puff of smoke appeared where the spirit had once stood, leaving the three once again to stand there.

Lucy hit Natsu in the chest and glared at him once again. "Idiot. There isn't a person alive that could get closer than you are already. Stop trying to break my keys." She explained to the Dragon Slayer. "Because no matter what happens, we will always be yours." She shared a smile with Mira before grabbing his vest from the table and shoving it into his arms. "Now put that on before we have another reason to stay away from the guild till tomorrow."

Mira walked up behind him and slipped her hands around him, sliding over the muscles of his abs. "I wouldn't mind a little detour if it came down to it." She whispered seductively. She gasped slightly when Natsu spun around in her arms and kissed her. "You will just have to wait until we get back, Mira." Lucy said before the two had a chance to heat things up.

The take-over mage moaned in displeasure of Lucy's words before releasing a huff of air at having to wait. Natsu kissed her cheek and took her hand. "I'll make the wait worth it, don't worry."

xXxXxXxXxXx

Natsu pushed his way out of the master's office, annoyed that the master refused to talk about their issue, telling the trio that it would be better for them to figure things out on their own. Mira and Lucy followed him out, thinking the master just didn't want to admit that there was something even he didn't know about. "Shall we do a job?" He asked, breaking the silence between the three.

Lucy folded her arms below her breasts and sighed. "What need for money do we have? After what you brought back we shouldn't need to do anything for several months, maybe more than a year." She pulled his pocketbook from the pocket inside of her blouse to run over the numbers again. Excitement grew in her at what she could buy with it, at the clothes she could get from all of the fancy shops around town.

Natsu growled and snatched the book from her and shoved it back into her pocket. "It isn't about money Luce. I just want to go out and relieve some of the aggression I feel at the moment. At least enough so I don't have this burning itch to hit something." He grumbled. Mira perked up at the idea. "A fight would be nice right about now. And besides, we need to get Lucy and you ready for the S-class mage trials that are coming up."

Lucy sighed again. "Without someone by my side, I'm useless in a fight. Without you two being there to help, I wouldn't have been able to do anything against Sekena." She knew she was physically weak, knew that she would have a long ways to go to be at an acceptable level with the two mages next to her. A surprised squeak escaped her when Natsu flicked her nose.

"What part of mate do you not understand? We will do everything we can to help you get stronger, just as we expect you to prove to us that you can stand on your own." His voice came over sternly, but caused her to smile at his intended purpose to the comment. She looked up at the board before grabbing one of the ones that would lead them away from town for a little while.

Natsu snatched one of the highest paying jobs. "How about this?" He asked handing over to the two women. _Looking for someone to take care of a group of thieves that continually assault our village._ Mira looked for the name that would lead them to find out who to talk to, but only managed to find a business by the name of **Hans Inc.** in a neighboring town not too far off. "Well… we have two choices here. It will be either a two day walk, or an eight hour train ride." Lucy responded, folding the paper in half.

"I vote train." Natsu's suggestion stunned the other two who looked at him as if he had grown a third head. "The sooner we get there, the sooner I can hit something." He explained, pushing his scarf back over his shoulder. He rolled said shoulder with a small wince and dropped his head in recognition of his pain.

Mira shoved him slightly. "You realize that with you still hurt, you won't be able to fight the same way you did before. You will have to rely on us more than anything." He smiled back at her and cocked his head to the side at the two. "Should we invite anyone else, or just us three?" He asked.

The women looked at one another for a brief moment before grabbing the Dragon Slayer to drag him off. "We won't share you with anyone else unless absolutely necessary. So I think the three of us will be more than enough for something like this." Mira said. "And besides, we could use a vacation after the mission on the way home." Lucy added, wanting to get some time to show off her appreciation for the pink haired mage to anyone willing to see.

**As always, R & R please!**

**And yes I know, the story jumps around a lot. I'm trying not to, so if it keeps happening feel free to yell at me.**


	12. The Job

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**Okay real quick, while I do have a few dedicated viewers here, I understand that my grammar and such isn't quite up to par and that has turned some of you off from it. I am looking for someone to assist me with editing, as in checking my grammar and word choice. Message me to let me know if you are willing to help a fellow writer out!**

Natsu looked back and forth between the two women at his sides and let out a small sigh. He should have seen that coming, or at least guessed what the two were thinking before he had even bothered to ask. They had started to act more possessively around him, subtly at first, but the deeper their relationships developed, he could see the changes in them. He felt a small pang of guilt at that fact, knowing full well that his mark he shared with each of them was in fact drawing out every part of their feelings from deep within them. He had learned a lot in his travels, even from the Earth Dragon that had threatened his life. He shook the thought out of his head; that had been dealt with already.

"Alright, fine." He said, agreeing with them. "Head on back and pack your bags, I'll follow in a few minutes."

Mira raised her eyebrow and turned her head to the side slightly. "Are you sure? We could wait if you aren't going to be long."

Natsu shook his head and pulled his arms from Mira and Lucy, giving them a large grin. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a familiar blue cat hovering near the other exceeds. "I need to have a little chat with Happy before we go." The women looked at him quizzically before nodding as if they were giving their permission rather than simply doing as he asked.

He watched the two leave before making his way over to the Exceeds to drop onto a barstool at the counter. "What do you need, Natsu?" Happy asked. Natsu smiled slyly and leaned forward. "Just a little surprise I'd like your help with, well the three of you if you wouldn't mind." He added looking at the other two.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

A groan came from the Dragon Slayer, his cheeks turning green the moment he stepped onto the train. He forced the feeling down and dropped his bag into an open seat. "Do you want to sit next to the window?" The celestial mage's voice brought him from his mind, reminding him that he wasn't alone.

A small shake of his head was all he could muster, ashamed that they weren't even moving yet and he couldn't trust himself to even speak yet. He gestured for the two to take the seats closest to the door before dropping himself to the floor, putting his back up against the wall so he wouldn't have to look out of the window.

He closed his eyes and folded his legs below him, taking slow deep breaths to concentrate on keeping his breakfast down. His efforts were immediately smashed when the train lurched into movement, causing the Dragon Slayer to lose balance and drop onto his face with a groan.

Mira couldn't help but giggle down at the sight. "No matter how strong he gets, he will always be the same defenseless kid deep down."

Lucy smiled at the comment. "You would think that he could get over it after all this time, but it only seems to get worse."

Natsu raised his head to try and glare at them, but his stomach had other ideas and flopped on him. "Ugh… Not… Funny." He mumbled out pushing himself onto his hands and knees. Sucking in a deep breath, he gagged slightly and pushed his body forward in a crawl. "I need air…" He managed to say without throwing up.

Finally out the back door, he slipped his feet through the railing of the balcony and leaned against it, watching the tracks below while listening to the steady clicking of the rails. He was so lost in the steady rhythm of the tracks that he didn't hear the door click open behind him. What he did catch was the strong lavender scent that flooded his senses. He moaned slightly, concentrating on the woman standing just behind him. Scooting back a short distance, he pulled his head from the cool metal bars and held out a hand over his shoulder for her.

He felt Mira take his hand and watched her place herself in front of him, sitting in the spot that he had just occupied before he moved forward to wrap his arms around her stomach, his head dropping into the base of her neck where it met her shoulder.

"Just don't throw up on me." She said giggling slightly as his breath tickled her skin.

"Shut up…" He groaned, taking in a deep breath of her smell. It calmed his nerves to have her there with him, to distract him from his motion sickness. "Where's Lucy?" He asked weakly.

Mira giggled and leaned back into the Dragon Slayer. "She fell asleep so I thought I'd take a few minutes to check on you. It's my turn for a little time alone with you anyways." She added sweetly. Natsu only grunted and wrapped his arms tighter around the woman. Before he knew it, he felt sleep suck his remaining strength from him.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Air whipped around the small railing, blowing the long hair from Natsu's salmon locks across his face and he rolled his head to the side with a groan. Absently he noticed that he was lying against something soft and his eyes attempted to open, but the streaks of trees caused him to close his eyes again before he lost control on his stomach contents. Instead he dug deeper into the soft feeling on his cheek. He smiled as a small hand pushed his hair from his face, scratching lightly against his scalp.

"You should probably get up, Natsu." Lucy's soft voice called to him, trying to stir him from his slumber.

"Mmmm…" He mumbled. "Another five minutes…"

Lucy sighed and patted his cheek gently. "Come on lover boy, you are the one that wanted to take the train in the first place." Lucy looked back over her shoulder as the other mage came outside and sat next to the two again.

"They said we are the next stop so I pulled our bags out here." Mira said sliding her hand next to Lucy's on Natsu's cheek. When the Dragon Slayer groaned again and shook his head in refusal to get up she grabbed his nose, pulling on it despite his attempts to push it away until he sat up.

"You don't have to be so mean Mira." He said pressing his head to the railing again. He listened as both of the mages stood up and grabbed their bags, feeling the train start to slow down. The second the train stopped he stood up on what he expected to be shaky feet but found his legs strong under him. He shook his head to rid himself of the haziness of his tired eyes and grabbed his bag to follow the women off the train.

He trudged along behind the two women as they lead the way through town, chatting idly about what to expect from the job. He let his mind wander from the task, enjoying the sight in front of him. He couldn't help but notice how similar the two seemed, but the subtle differences screamed their way through his mind. Mira's tendency for dresses was ever present, while Lucy still wore her skirts and t-shirts that she seemed to enjoy so much.

The amount of skin the celestial mage showed was more than enough to stir something within the Dragon Slayer and he couldn't help but be drawn to the shapely length of her legs. Her shoulder length hair had been split into two loose ponytails while her bangs framed her face.

Mira on the other hand, wore her hair down her back with her bangs down as they just covered the edges of her eyes. The knee high heeled boots changed her stance that caused her to sway when she walked, her backside raised slightly as it invited Natsu's eyes towards it.

The Dragon Slayer mentally slapped himself and looked back to where they were going before he noticed a large factory looming in the distance. He couldn't help but feel drawn towards it and how ominous it felt, but noticed that it was in the direction that the women were leading him.

Mira pulled out the flier once again and checked the hiring company, confirming they were indeed at the guild they had specified. "Hans Inc… Looks like we found it." She commented absently walking inside.

"May I help you?" A deep voice asked as they stepped inside, finding the room lined with large men looking ready for a fight.

Lucy gulped down her fear of the situation and stepped forward. "We are here for the job you posted. We are mages from Fairy Tail."

One of the men looked over his shoulder as if conversing with someone before stepping aside to allow a couple to pass him into the waiting area. "Thank you for coming so quickly, we are the representatives that called you here. Is it true you are from Fairy Tail?" The man asked in disbelief. "From what I hear they are truly mages to be reckoned with… But, from the looks of it your friend back there…" He gestured to Natsu.

"Oh, don't worry about him. I'm Lucy. This is Mirajane." Lucy said bringing up her hand to the woman beside her. "And that's Natsu."

The woman quickly stepped forward, her eyes shining at the recognition of the Dragon Slayer. "Natsu Dragneel the Dragon Slayer?" She said, practically squealing with joy. "I'd heard stories that he had left after some relationship issues…" Her eyes darted between the two women and took in their rings, then the lack of his. "Is it true he is…" Her question went unanswered when she saw the look the women were giving her.

Mira and Lucy both glared silently at the woman before Natsu stepped forward, a small smile on his face. "I don't mean to be rude, but could we get some details about the job before we go about it?"

The woman sighed but nodded. "Of course, of course... The thieves have been slipping into town just before dawn when everyone is just waking up. They target this building in particular since we are one of the centers of trade in this town. We believe they are going to attack again tomorrow."

"Then we will prepare here to catch them in the act." Natsu offered.

"Yes, yes I think that would be a good plan, but first we must have dinner! My husband and I would love to sit down and hear some stories from the three of you. If you don't mind that is!" She added hastily.

At the suggestion of food, Natsu quickly agreed, his smile spreading across his face.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Natsu frowned down at the plate of food in front of him. "Something wrong Mr. Dragneel?" The woman asked sweetly, giving a seductive smile. "We specially prepared this just for your arrival. It isn't every day that we get three renowned mages in our town."

Natsu forced a smile to his face and stabbed one of the vegetables before bringing it to his lips. An odd sensation filled his palate and he knew something was wrong. It was obvious someone had put something in the food. He took a bite of the rather large portion of steak but found that it had no odd flavor to it. Maybe it was his heightened senses that told him something was wrong, but he didn't know if the other two mages could tell that something was wrong with the vegetables.

Natsu's hand snaked over and grabbed Mira's as she tried to bring one of the vegetables to her mouth, pulling her arm to him and slowly taking the food off her fork with his teeth, giving an act for the two that had brought them here. He hoped his worries got through to the two as he flooded his thoughts with doubt. "Oh my…" He heard as the hostess gasped. The look on Mira's face didn't leave him to believe his actions were anything but him trying to steal his food. He reached up and brought his hand up to her cheek, leaning in as if to kiss her. He stopped his lips just as his lips brushed hers, but feigned a smile. "Don't eat the vegetables. But don't let on that something is wrong either." He whispered before giving the woman a gentle kiss.

"No fair." Mira said with a mock pout, looking over at Lucy and giving her a wink. Lucy put a hand on the Dragon Slayer's jaw and turned his face towards her and pulled him down into a kiss. A quick look in his eyes told her what she needed to know, that something was wrong and she needed to play along with his game. He kept his eyes locked onto Lucy's, parting his lips slightly to accept the food she offered.

The two separated and Natsu looked back to the couple across the large round table from them. The two were sitting there almost frozen in silence until Natsu spoke up. "Don't mind us… We haven't been together long and it feels like we are still in that inseparable stage." He explained as he propped his elbows on the table.

"That's quite alright young man; we understand the temptations of love… We just didn't expect…" The woman gave a quick look between the three mages sitting in front of her. "I don't think we expected something like this."

Lucy ran a hand over his arm before intertwining her fingers with his. "I don't think just one of us would be able to keep up with him anyways. Besides, I couldn't imagine my life without the two of them." She sent a loving look past the Dragon Slayer to the woman sitting beside him and let a smile spread across her lips.

Natsu leaned back in the chair and pushed his half eaten food away from him. "Sorry to interrupt, but I believe it is time that I go take a look around to get acquainted with the layout of the area so we can prepare for the thieves."

The man, having been silent the whole dinner, pushed back as well and stood up. "Are you sure, sir? It doesn't look as if you are feeling the best. With a few hours yet still before they usually arrive, wouldn't it be good to relax beforehand, perhaps sleep a little?"

Natsu sighed and dropped his gaze, letting his weariness show. "Perhaps you are right; it would be good to gather our strength before we find ourselves in a fight." He motioned for the women to stand up with him as the man called a butler into the room.

"If you would be so kind as to follow me, I will lead you to the rooms we have prepared for you this evening." The butler said, sweeping deep into a low bow.

Mira waved a hand to dismiss the idea. "Sorry, but we will have to decline. If you need us, we will be just outside. The cool air will do us good." Before their hosts could question their decision the three left the room and disappeared down the hall to the dark night. As soon as the door shut behind them, Natsu grabbed Lucy around the waist with his good arm, her arm snaking around his neck just as he jumped into the air, landing on the rooftop of their employer's building, Mira jumping to follow. Not a moment after they had touched down did a group of men come out the front door, the same group that had been in the main lobby when they had gotten there in the first place.

A low growl left the Dragon Slayer as he let himself sink to his knees. His body vibrated slightly with whatever effect the food was having on him. The women crouched next to him and hid their forms from the men on the ground that were looking for them. "Mind explaining what you found?" Lucy asked quietly.

Natsu looked up at her and frowned. "Something in the food, I think it's trying to block me from my magic…" He explained. He could feel the link between them waver slightly as he tried to force it to stay with him. "They must have not liked the fact that I wouldn't let you eat your food." He commented nodding to the couple that had just stormed outside to see what was taking so long.

"I told you we should have just taken them when they got here. How are we going to catch them now?" The woman spat at the man.

"Don't take that tone with me. At least my way we only have to worry about the two women. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can turn them over to make them leave us alone." The man said crossing his arms. Touching the Dragon Slayer's cheek, Mira smiled down at him for a moment. Lucy slid a hand down to her keys at her hip and tensed up, preparing herself for a battle.

Natsu moved to the edge of the building without another word, draping his legs over the edge before whistling sharply. The entire group below them spun on their heels and looked up, noticing the man up there while the two women stayed back to keep out of sight. "Where are your friends?" The man called up at Natsu, who only smiled in return. Anger crawled over the group below. "Stupid mage's. Why do you have to fight us? Because of you our town will continue to be blackmailed!"

"I told them to leave." Natsu said roughly, his smile fading. "They wanted to stay and fight, but it's obvious how weak you are to have to resort to dirty tricks. We were willing to help you, what do you have to gain by preventing us from defending you against your bandits?"

"Those bandits have our son. They said to bring them a Fairy Tail mage; we never expected three of you to fall for it. It isn't our fault. You wouldn't understand the thought of losing a child." Natsu laughed aloud, giving a small look over his shoulder to tell the women behind him to stay where they were for the moment. Getting a reassuring look from them, he dropped from the ledge and landed roughly on the ground, falling to a knee with a grunt.

"You underestimate us. I don't know what would possess you to not simply ask for our help." The calm statement caused the two to recoil, but didn't stop their men from surrounding Natsu and grabbing him by his arms roughly to force him to the ground. He peaked up from the ground at the two. "All you had to do was ask. Just because you are in pain doesn't mean you can force another family to feel it instead."

"You have no magic; you are just saying this to keep us from turning you over." One of the men said digging his knee into Natsu's back, forcing his breath from his lungs. Natsu didn't fight back, simply letting them do as they wished as they tied up his wrists and ankles to prevent him from running. "You're wrong, by the way." He whispered out at the two. "Your son wouldn't want you to go to these lengths to get him back." A slap spun his head to the side, but he held onto his smile.

"You have no idea the pain of having your child taken from you under the threat of death."

Natsu snapped against the ropes, straining as anger filled his eyes. "Get your facts straight before you spit lies in someone's face. I would die for my son, but I wouldn't sacrifice someone else for him. Would you sacrifice your wife if they asked for her instead? No? Then don't give me the excuse that your hands are tied. That's who I've sent for, by the way. I told my son to meet us here tomorrow since that is when we should have been done with this mission. Even one as young as he will see the mistakes you made."

The woman laughed at him. "Even if he gets here, we will just tell him that you ran away. Why would he believe we did anything wrong? When we get our son back in the morning, it will be as if you and those thieves had never been here. As long as I have my son, yours can believe you left him." Natsu dropped his head and shook it slightly at the misguided thinking the two had.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Mira sat holding Lucy tightly against the top of the building, lying down to avoid the sight of the group below. Neither knew whether to be shocked that Natsu was lying about having a child or not having told them that he even had one. They didn't know how to react so they simply sat there and listened as his breathing slowed to a steady pace as he fell asleep from the lack of strength. They sat there until the sun had started to raise, a bright orange glow piercing the darkness from the horizon.

A dark laugh brought them out of their thoughts and they took a small peak over the side to see a group of cloaked figures walk up to where Natsu was being held. "Oh, the great Salamander, huh? What luck!" The familiar voice drifted over the gathering crowd, causing the hiding women to tense.

The man that had spoken walked up to the unconscious Dragon Slayer and kicked him, "Get up Salamander." When he didn't move, the man kicked him again, sending him into the stone wall of the building with a wet crunch. Lucy barely stifled a cry at the sound, gripping her keys tighter in her grasp.

"You can have him, but give us our son!" The woman screamed. The man that had kicked Natsu laughed and gestured behind him and a boy walked out from the middle of the crowd, tears in his eyes. He cried out and ran to his mother, who wrapped her arms around him tightly. The leader walked over and grabbed Natsu by his hair and lifted him until they were at eye level. "Now that we have what we want… Kill them."

The men guarding the family were nothing compared to the mages, being hired muscle rather than mages themselves. Mira screamed, seeing red. Her hand left the celestial mage's and she jumped from her hiding spot. A flash of light spread across her body as she fell to the ground, "**Take over: Satan Soul.**" She growled. Rock shattered around her where she landed. She stood in front of the three defenseless humans. Despite their willingness to give up Natsu for their son, she still couldn't let someone get hurt if she could help it.

"**Summon Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!**" Lucy's cry rang out along the rooftops, the key in her raised hand glowing brightly before her spirit appeared at her side, his hand already over his shoulder as if he expected a fight. For once it seemed he was looking more at the fight rather than at his master. "Moooo! Looking hot Lucy!" He cried out, his eyes running over said celestial mage from head to toe.

"Focus, Taurus! Bring Natsu to me." She commanded, pointing down at the group below. The bull snorted, blowing air from his nose and grinning. He launched himself at the one holding Natsu slashing his axe at the same time. The man deftly jumped back, letting Natsu fall to the ground where he had been previously. The axe changed its course mid swing and cut the ropes binding the Dragon Slayer.

It quickly became evident that most of the cloaked figures were in fact not mages as Mira spread through them, knocking most of them flying with a simple flick of her wrist.

In a matter of moments only three of the attackers were left standing, all of them intent on the take-over mage and the bull. Lucy dropped down to the ground, touching the Dragon Slayer's cheek to ensure he was alright, only to see his eyes open and his finger raise to his lips to indicate her to keep silent. While the action confused her, Lucy kept quiet and focused her actions on her spirit.

Mira cried out as she charged the distance between herself and one of the other's, flowing her attacks together as she pressed him back. "**Demon Blast!**" A black sphere appeared over her fist before erupting over the other.

Taurus laughed and lashed out himself, slapping the flat of his blade onto the back of one of the final remaining attackers. The man fell in a heap.

No one was paying attention to the third man, the leader. He blurred past the two towards the family, his body disappearing from sight. A cry of pain erupted as he attacked, the dagger in his hand stabbing through a hand as he laughed. The family blinked at the sight in front of them, Natsu's half-conscious body had slipped between them and their attacker.

While Natsu still didn't have use of his magic, it seemed he could still force his body to do as he wished. His free hand grabbed the wrist that held the blade and clung to it. "Why do you need a Fairy Tail mage?" Natsu growled.

The man smiled and slipped his other hand from his cloak, stabbing a second dagger into Natsu's other hand, effectively stabbing through his own wrist in the process. "I don't need you, I need your magic."

Natsu blinked briefly before smiling. "You can't steal a Dragon Slayer's magic. Only death and our own decisions take our power from our body, but it cannot be passed to another in the way you are hoping for." Twisting his hand quickly, he snapped the blades holding his hands and grabbed him by his throat. "Least of all someone as weak as you."

**As always, R & R please.**

**I'm trying to work on my fighting scenes, so please tear this one apart and give me some tips to improve if you have any. **


	13. Darkness Within

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

Silence filled the space between the Dragon Slayer and the mage that he was currently attempting to strangle. Blood drained steadily down Natsu's arms, dripping off his elbows. While the drugs were wearing off, Natsu still could not feel his magic no matter how hard he tried. The mage in his hands smiled wickedly, raising his hands at his sides in a gesture that he held no more blades. "It is but a hiccup in my plan. Instead of taking your powers, I will use you as I please." The man said matter-of-factually.

Gripping harder, Natsu felt a pair of hand circle his own neck and quickly dropped his chin to attempt to get the fingers away from his windpipe. He met no resistance, his eyes widening as he realized there were no physical fingers around him and clenched his teeth while digging his fingernails deep into his enemy.

"Funny thing blood magic..." The mage in his hands groaned out, his lips peeling back from his teeth. A growl left Natsu's throat and realized that the deeper he dug his fingers in, the harder the fingers around his throat tightened. He loosened his grip slightly and managed to suck in a sharp breath. "Oh, a quick learner I see."

Natsu felt his muscles strain against his will at the thought of strangling the life out of this man, at being able to prevent him from hurting anyone else. But he didn't want to end his own life just to take someone like this out. His mind sought out answers, that if he could use his fire, he could fry this creep to a crisp and be unaffected all the same.

"Lucy." Natsu said looking over at the celestial mage. "Go get Wendy from the train station."

Lucy turned to leave but stopped and looked back at him. "Why would Wendy be at the train station?"

"Because Happy, Charle, and Pantherlilly were supposed to bring her and Gajeel to meet us here. Now please…" He said in an edgy voice, gritting his teeth in a small snarl. "Whatever happens to this guy here will happen to me, so please. Go get Wendy; she might know how to reverse this." Lucy's eyes widened before she took off towards the train station, Taurus following quickly behind her in case she would need protection.

Mira stood off to the side of Natsu and the mystery blood mage, feeling helpless to the fact that she couldn't stop it. Things didn't seem to be adding up to her, she understood what blood magic was, and could see Natsu had lost quite a bit of blood, but she didn't see any blood from the man at the end of his hands. "Who are you?" She asked angrily, clenching her fists at her sides.

"I am Sidney, m'love." He responded, ignoring the growling Dragon Slayer that held him off the ground by his throat. His eyes traveled across her body, staring pointedly at the revealing clothes the take-over mage was wearing until his gaze settled on her mating mark. The look in his eyes sent a sharp shiver down Mira's spine, goose bumps spreading along her arms. "Oh my…" He commented. "Seems my luck hasn't run out yet; I will just use you to do as I please."

Natsu responded out of impulse rather than thinking it over, his emotions flaring at the thought of his mate being in trouble as he slammed Sidney into the ground. True to his belief, Natsu felt as if someone had slammed him to the ground instead, blood coming out in a cough similar to that of the blood mage. However, Natsu refused to let the blood deter him, his teeth grinding together trying to ignore the pain around his throat. He reached further for his flames, the integral part to his body that he always had, that he could always summon without any effort no matter how hurt he was. "You won't touch her." He growled.

A barrier in his mind knocked away his attempts, blocking him from that last piece of the puzzle and he pushed against it even further, straining mentally against the black veil in his mind. "Natsu no!" He heard cry out from behind him a split second before Mira's arms locked around his chest, trying to pull him off Sidney, who sat there watching everything play out in front of him, still grinning despite what Natsu was doing to him.

Mira's touch sparked a feeling in Natsu's chest, his anger slipping out of his grasp. Without his anger, the pain ripped through him, his eyes blackening as he fought against unconsciousness. Pulling a hand from Sidney's throat, Natsu slammed a fist into his eye and felt his own eye swell as the tissue bruised. "If I'm going to black out, then so are you." He spat, rearing his hand back once again.

A vice grip grabbed Natsu's fist as it descended again towards the blood mage, stopping his attack. "I wouldn't advise that. You could do more damage to yourself than you know." Natsu spun his head to look at who was talking to him and frowned at the red eyes staring him down.

"Let me go, Gajeel." Natsu spat to his fellow Dragon Slayer. Natsu felt powerless as Gajeel grabbed his other hand from Sidney's neck only to shove Natsu back into Mira's awaiting arms. Gajeel turned his look to the man lying on the ground, the force of his gaze making the man hold his position.

"Care to explain why we had to come all the way out here?" He growled without taking his eyes off the man.

"This was supposed to be an easy job, and then we would have had time to talk away from the guild, away from anyone listening to us while we talked." Natsu tried to explain. "I needed to tell you about Sekena and what happened…"

"Natsu-san… You didn't have to bring us out here to tell us that…" Wendy cut herself off, raising a hand to her mouth as she realized what she was saying. "Maybe you are right… We don't need to put Mira-nee in any more danger than she is already in."

"I explained everything to them." Lucy said, the three exceeds hovering around her as she stepped beside Wendy.

"I think I know how to get us out of this, but it isn't going to be pretty Natsu…" Wendy said sheepishly. "It would cause you a lot of pain to do… We would have to…." She stopped and looked down at her feet, unable to continue.

"We would have to extract his blood from yours." Gajeel said bluntly, stepping on the mage's chest to hold him down.

"Unless you are planning on draining your fire breathing friend of his blood, you won't be able to draw mine from him." Sidney said happily. "Besides, I see the connection between him and that woman in his arms. She would do anything to protect him…" The blood mage snapped his wrist to the side and a blade appeared in it once again from the inside of his sleeve and pressed it against his own throat, licking his lips. "If I die, so does he."

"Sorry Natsu…" Gajeel said roughly before descending his fist into Sidney's temple, knocking him out. A cry from Natsu resounded off the nearby walls before he collapsed in Mira's arms.

A whimper from off to the side brought all of their heads around and they saw the family that had put the job out standing there frozen, tears streaming down the young boy's cheeks. "Is he going to be okay?" The boy squeaked out. His parent's quickly shushed him and looked worriedly towards the mages.

"This is _your_ fault." Lucy said, her voice quiet but deadly as she locked eyes with the couple.

"Don't say that, Lucy. They only wanted to get their son back, they were afraid." Happy said quietly, shrinking back from the dark aura around Lucy.

Lucy took a few slow steps towards the couple, ignoring the Exceed's words. "Why don't you tell your son how you poisoned my husband so you could trade their lives."

The boy looked up to his parents. "Mama? Did you do that?" He whispered. His mother looked down into his eyes with horror and shook her head, but it was her husband that answered for her. "We didn't have a choice. It was either that, or we could watch you die son…"

"Don't forget to tell him about how after Natsu found out about the poison, he gave himself up in an attempt to help you. That even without his magic, he wanted to save you." Her cold words pierced through the three.

"That's enough Lucy." Wendy said confidently, stepping in front of the celestial mage. "Hurting them now won't make the situation any better, nor will it change what has already happened." She waited until the mage nodded before turning to look at the child. "If Natsu can forgive your parents to give himself for you, you had best live to learn their mistake. Don't waste the second chance you got."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Natsu sat on the ground with his back against a tree and clenched his hand, trying to draw out more than the small flame that that he had in his hand. Both he and the blood mage were awake, sitting a small distance from one another while the rest slept after a long day of trying to find a way to get Sidney's blood out of Natsu's veins. He looked at the ropes and chains that held the blood mage and smiled. "When we finally find a way to get rid of your blood, I am going to burn you alive."

Natsu's words caused the mage to flinch, shaking slightly as the Dragon Slayer licked his lips. "I thought you Fairy Tail mages were supposed to be good people, that you let the council take care of those that break the magical laws." He said hesitantly.

Natsu chuckled to himself and cast his eyes over the sleeping Dragon Slayers off to the side before looking at down at the two women lying against one another against another tree, his lips peeling back from his teeth. "Maybe they are, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the chance that you will be let off to threaten us again."

Sidney closed his eyes and shook his head. "What can I say to get you to let me go?"

"Give me one reason that I shouldn't, and don't say you won't do it again. Blood magic doesn't help people, it only hurts them." Natsu said quietly as to not wake up the sleeping women.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, don't they?" Sidney tried to reason with him, hoping there was a part of the Dragon Slayer that would agree. "And you wouldn't want your woman to think low of you, would you?"

Natsu laughed aloud, a throaty laugh causing the people around them to snap awake and look at him curiously. The laugh didn't match the look he had, his eyes glaring daggers into the bound mage's eyes. "Oi, Natsu. What the hell? Trying to sleep over here." Gajeel said grumpily before closing his eyes again.

Natsu ignored the other man and looked over at Wendy. "Would you forgive someone if they killed one of your friends?" He asked.

Wendy rubbed her eyes and sat up further, frowning at his question. "But it doesn't matter, no one died…" She whispered.

"I would hunt them down and kill them myself if anyone took one of my guild member's lives." Natsu told her. "For every tear they took from us, they would suffer further." His voice was calm, but cold. His words hung in the air before he once again turned to Sidney.

"If he dies because of this…" Lucy said quietly. "I would make you suffer. For every year that he isn't with us, will be another year you will wish I had killed you."

Mira gripped Lucy's hand and shook her head. "If Natsu dies, we will make him regret it. I've already lost someone once, and I was lucky enough to have them come back. I don't think I have enough luck left to have that happen a second time." Her words came out in barely more than a whisper and she shook her head in disbelief at what she was saying.

The blood mage looked between the three and back to Wendy, his eyes pleading. "I'll take it away; I'll draw it from him myself. I swear, if you protect me, I'll just take it away. A life in prison is better than death… And I thought I was bad for trying to use you to get more power."

Wendy's eyes widened and she pushed further away from the four. "They wouldn't really kill you Sidney; they are just worried for his wellbeing. I hope… But how do we know that you won't attack him again when you are free? How do we know that you will keep your word?"

Sidney worked his mouth, trying to find the words to give his pledge that they would understand them and trust him. "Because if he tries anything, I'll burn us both alive." Natsu spat, the flame reappearing in his hand again.

"You don't know whether your Dragon Slayer magic will protect you from that or not, Natsu. It's too much of a risk right now, we still have other options." Mira said placing a hand on his arm. "Maybe…"

"**Maybe you should stop being so weak.**" Mira said, her eyes widening in surprise at what she said. She shook her head and closed her eyes. "**If you weren't this weak, your mate wouldn't be in this situation.**"

Natsu's head swiveled around and tried to catch her eyes but since they were closed, found he couldn't. Pushing away from the tree, he gripped her jaw gently and lifted it slightly causing her to open her eyes to look at him curiously. "I swear I didn't mean to say that, Natsu." She explained, her eyes pleading for him to believe her. "**Of course you didn't, child.**" She said again, Natsu catching the slight difference in her voice, the underlying layer of power behind it.

"My mate isn't weak, if she was as weak as you say, you would have killed all three of us where we stood that day. If you know what you are doing in there enough to force her to speak for you, then you should have enough knowledge to have stopped this from happening." He said raising an eyebrow. "Mira, you are stronger than you think. Now I know why you were saying you heard Sekena talk to you, warning you about what would happen if something happened to me. I think your emotions give her a link between our bond and allow her to bridge that gap slightly."

"Does that mean you aren't going to kill me?" The blood mage asked, drawing attention to him once again. Mira smiled at Natsu and touched his cheek. "If she can help, then we should listen to her." She offered.

Natsu smiled and nodded. "**Don't be stupid child. You already know what you have to do.**" Mira's mouth had moved on it's own again, the voice forcing it's way out of her. "**No choice is without it's risk. And the higher the risk, the better they payoff if it works.**"

Lucy reached over to the two, taking a hand from each one. "I don't like it… But whenever have we ever not come out on top? We can do anything together."

Natsu pulled both women against him and leaned back against the tree again. "Sidney… For now you will be fine. We try it your way tomorrow."

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

With a small sigh, Mira pushed away from the sleeping Dragon Slayer and celestial mage, standing up straight and stretching in the early morning light. She listened to the calm sounds of everyone sleeping soundly. Pantherlilly dropped down from the branch he had been sitting on next to Mira, not saying anything. "Do you trust me?" She asked him quietly.

A scowl appeared on his face. "Of course I do Mira. Why would you even have to ask?"

She shook her head and gently shook Natsu's shoulder, waking both of the sleeping figures. "It's time we do this…" She said quietly, only waiting for a nod from the two before turning to the Exceed again. "I don't want you to wake the others while we are gone… they don't need to worry any more than they already do."

The three stood up and walked over to the sleeping blood mage, Natsu grabbing one of the ropes tied around him before they drug him away from the group. "I hope you know what you are doing." Pantherlilly said his voice hard to wish them strength.

Sidney kept his mouth shut as he was drug away from the group, shaking slightly at the thought of what they had planned for him. They had said they would kill him or worse if anything happened with Natsu.

"Lucy, I want you to be ready to call on Virgo if anything happens. She can get you away from here." Natsu said dropping the mage at their feet. "Both of you will get out of here if something happens." His voice left no room for an argument.

"I gave you my word I would take it from you!" Sidney cried out, pushing himself up on his knees.

"You also gave your word you would let the boy go if you got a Fairy Tail mage, and then you tried to kill them." Lucy retorted. Sidney flinched and looked down at the ground in front of him. He shook his head, "It isn't like that this time…"

"And I won't kill you unless you try something." Natsu answered as if it didn't matter to him either way. Natsu knelt down next to the man and grabbed the rope, lighting what little fire he could to prevent from killing the man right off the bat.

Standing on shaky legs, Sidney shrugged out of the chains and raised his hands slowly to the Dragon Slayer's cheeks. "I have to cut you again…" He whispered, sliding his hand along the cut already on Natsu's cheek before reopening it and letting a couple of drops flow from the cut. Placing his thumb over the cut, Sidney closed his eyes and drew his power into himself, feeling the strength the Dragon Slayer was capable of, seeing the darkness that lurked deep within him.

Gasping, Sidney pulled away from the man, "It is done… But I should tell you, taking my life may open something within you that you don't want… Not unless you plan on killing more than just me." The Dragon Slayer smiled and backhanded the man into a tree, causing both of the women to gasp.

"I'm not going to kill you, but I can't just let you go either." Natsu spat down at the man angrily. "Not for what you did to me, but for the child you planned on killing." Reaching down to the man, he gripped the front of the vest and picked him up off the ground. Slamming him against the tree, Natsu repeatedly punched him until blood dripped down from the mage's eye socket and let him fall to the ground, knocked out but alive.

"What did he mean by darkness?" Lucy asked as she tore a strip of cloth from her already too short skirt to wrap Natsu's hand.

"Maybe he was just pleading for his life." Mira suggested, Natsu nodding in agreement with the thought. Taking a deep breath, Natsu grabbed the mage from the ground again before dragging him back to the camp to wake the others. He explained to them that he just wanted to get back to town, which he was sorry to have called them out for nothing, especially since they had already known what he was planning on telling them. He would have to talk to them about how they actually had figured it out, but he already had a good feeling that he knew. He needed to hear it from them though.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Back at the guild, Natsu dropped the man in front of the master's desk. Sidney knelt there, visibly shaking and sputtering that he was sorry, that he would gladly spend the rest of his life in prison for what he had done. It was the same droll he had been saying every time he regained consciousness. Makarov's face was unreadable as he sat and listened to the mage plead and promise before turning to the crowd in front of him. "Explain." Makarov's voice was calm, but demanded answers nonetheless.

Everyone turned to look at Natsu, fully expecting him to answer seeing as he was the reason behind it. With a sigh, Natsu folded his arms in front of him and explained how their job had turned out, everything from where he had been drugged until Sidney had taken back his power from him.

Makarov listened intently, but raised an eyebrow when the explanation stopped, fully expecting more seeing as it didn't explain why they were in his office with them. "Now, why is he here? And why is he sputtering like a scolded child?"

Wendy dropped her gaze and stared at the floor. "Natsu wouldn't let me heal him…" Her voice was a whisper, far quieter than it usually was.

"With good reason." Natsu said calmly, a small smile gracing his lips. "If we show him kindness now, he might try what he did with me on someone else."

"This is not how Fairy Tail members act, Natsu. We are strong, but we are fair. We do not hurt for fun!"

Natsu snapped at the statement, slamming his fist on the desk. "I don't think this is fun!" His voice caused Sidney to curl up on the ground, crying harder. "I don't like this, but if you expect me to just sit back and give him a chance to steal someone's life away, then I don't know why I even bothered to bring him here. I did this to protect, not to bring harm."

Makarov's features softened at Natsu's words, his gaze moving over Sidney. "Wendy, tell Lisanna to bring me my communication lacrima. The rest of you can go, I will take it from here." He watched as they all started to leave, filing out the door. "Natsu… I don't condone what you did. There will always be another way… I would appreciate it if you took a few days off for now. You have been gone long enough; it would be good for you to stay around for a while."

"Is that an order, Master?" Natsu asked quietly.

Makarov frowned and shook his head. "No, child… No, it is but a request."

"Then I will stay, Master. I will leave this to you… and thank you again for promising to protect us." Natsu bowed his head ever so slightly and shut the door behind him as he left.

**As always, R & R please!**

**Expect the next chapter to be somewhat long.**


	14. Broken Promises

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**I've gotten a couple of complaints about people saying I'm not using transitions between different times right, but no one will say what I'm doing wrong. If anyone can shed some light on it I would greatly appreciate it!**

**Chapter 14: Broken Promises**

It was yet another day in Magnolia, the sun was high and there were few clouds on the horizon. People were running all about town without a care in the world, everyone felt that it was a great day and went about with a smile on their faces. Fairy Tail was not to be left out of the festivities though as today was an especially joyous occasion for the guild. Anyone that passed the open doors was deafened by the continuous cheers and toasts, but no matter how much they cheered their happiness was nothing compared to the reason they were cheering.

Juvia had entered the guild positively glowing, dragging a stunned Gray behind her. Her announcement of her pregnancy had taken the guild by surprise for only a few moments until Mira squealed in joy. No one dared to leave the guild that day, missions were forgotten, appointments were ignored, and potential clients were swept up in the party.

Juvia had immediately been dragged off by a few of the women to question her about her plans. They wanted to know everything. Lisanna and Mirajane were busy running drinks back and forth to everyone, trying to listen and talk with the expecting couple as much as they could in between trips to get more alcohol, making sure to keep Juvia's teacup full at all times.

"When did you find out?"

"Do you know what it is going to be?"

"Have you thought of a name?"

"Do you have morning sickness?"

Juvia blushed and couldn't hide the smile that was plastered across her lips, unsure of who to answer first. "Juvia just found out today that she is two months along…"

The women were soon drowned out by a fight breaking out between Gray and Natsu. "I didn't know you had it in you stripper!"

"Stop calling me that, pinky!"

"Has the ice princess gone soft at hearing they are going to be a father!"

Gray stood silent for a moment, his glare quickly changing into that of a grin, his entire body reacting with the joy he felt. "Just another thing you lose in!" Gray yelled.

"My kids are going to be a hundred times stronger than yours!" Natsu challenged, a grin spreading across his own face in happiness for his best friend/rival.

"You don't even have kids yet!"

"You just needed a head start to even be a challenge!" Natsu yelled back, lighting a flame over his fist.

"Bring it on, flame brain!" Gray cried out slamming his fist into the palm of his hand. The two threw themselves at one another in the same instant, fists connecting halfheartedly at first, fire and ice flying past them in all directions. That was all it took for the guild to erupt into a full-fledged battle, laughs and cries comingling in the air.

**Crash!**

Natsu felt several tables slow his movement as he was knocked back until he slammed into the bar. He laughed and sat up to watch as the battle started to taper off so everyone could go back to the party, drinking and just all around making a ruckus to celebrate the new arrival to the guild. Natsu let out a grunt as Cana slammed her barrel of alcohol against him. "Drink!" She commanded. He obliged with a laugh, upending the barrel to chug a few mouthfuls before tossing it back to her.

Natsu picked himself up off the ground and scanned the guild, taking notice that Mirajane and Lucy were both surrounding Juvia and he couldn't help but wonder at what the two would react like if they found out they were in fact pregnant. He smiled and shook his head, it would happen when it happened and he accepted that. There was no need to force the issue yet. Natsu closed his eyes and listened to the guild run about loudly, crying out about how good it would be to have some kids running around again.

Natsu peeked an eye out and saw Makarov wipe away a single tear in joy. "I can't believe how fast everyone has grown up." The master mumbled to himself, thinking no one heard him.

**xXxXxXxXxXx**

Natsu blinked against the sleep in his eyes, shaking his head to try and get some of the alcohol out of his head to make the room stop spinning. A small whimper snapped Natsu out of his head, the pressure against his chest tightening as the girl sucked in a breath only to release it in a shaky sigh. Natsu immediately reprimanded himself for falling asleep. As gently as he could, Natsu pushed the long blue hair out of Wendy's eyes. She flinched at the sudden touch, crying harder. "Shhhh… It's okay Wendy, it's just me." He whispered quietly to sooth the crying girl. Leaning back against the wall, he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her tighter against him while rubbing her back gently.

"I-I'm… s-sorry I w-woke y-you…" Wendy said as another wave of emotions rolled over her, his gentle touch soothing her slightly. She pressed her forehead to his chest in an attempt to calm herself and felt him set his chin on top of her head. He shook his head gently at her, offering comforting words that she hadn't woken him. "I hate you." She whispered gripping his vest tighter, pulling herself closer to his warmth. '_She really has grown over the years…_' He thought absently. Natsu closed his eyes and nodded, thinking she was simply mad and needed someone to take her aggression out at.

Everything fell silent once more, small snores and her light ragged breathing the only sounds that filled the guild. Most had gone home after the celebration had ended, but those that had stayed still lay wherever sleep took them over. Gray and Juvia had been the first two to leave and return home, preferring to have her be comfortable in her bed rather than the hard wooden benches of the guild hall.

"I can't believe he actually let me leave…" Wendy said finally breaking the silence, pushing herself back from Natsu's chest in an attempt to put herself back together. "What did I do? Why did I have to question him like that? Why couldn't I just let things be?" She was on the brink of breaking down again, tears welling up in her eyes. Natsu forced a small smile to his lips and wiped away her tears. He wanted nothing more than to hunt Romeo down and maul the guy, but it was more important that he stay here and help Wendy by comforting her, giving her someone to confess her worries to.

"I'm here for you Wendy, whatever you need, you but have to say it." He asked in an attempt to take her mind off the other man. "Why don't I take you away? We can go on a job, it's been awhile. It would be nice to catch up with you. Maybe even get the old team back together for a few days?" He offered.

Wendy smiled softly and hit his shoulder gently. "A while? It has been over six years, Natsu-san. But you are right, it would be good to get out for a while, maybe take some aggression out. When you left… We all had to step up and get stronger to protect the guild. I had to stop being a burden on everyone so I learned how to fight." She closed her eyes and fell against his chest again. "Thank you again for letting me stay with you tonight, and I'm sorry for taking you away from Lucy-san and Mira-san… I didn't know who else to turn to, most of the guild doesn't understand what it's like for us, and Gajeel is always too cold, Laxus just doesn't come around enough that I don't trust going to him… With you back, I didn't have any other choice…"

He stopped her small rant by patting her head, running his fingers through her soft hair. "I'm always with them, so you don't have to worry about that. No matter where I go…" He tapped his heart. "I take them with me. Besides, I couldn't say no to you when you needed someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on. And you know as well as I do that they don't see it as stealing me away from them, you are like a sister to them."

Wendy smiled and turned to see the two women not far off, sitting on the floor with their backs up against an overturned table, their sleeping bodies leaned against one another with their hands folded together neatly. "I never asked. Why Mira-san?" She asked suddenly, using his love life as a distraction from her own. "I understand why you are with Lucy-san, she was your partner in just about everything you did. You were bound to have some feelings for her one way or another. But with Mira-san… I have never seen you around her like that. I never saw you two interact together other than when it came to exchanging new missions, or when she would have to intervene when you and Gray would fight and Erza wasn't around. I always thought that you would end up with Lisanna instead, that before you confessed to Lucy, you would ask her out. Everyone even told me that when you two were children, you always talked about getting married."

"It wasn't always like that." Natsu said with a small whine. "She always said she was going to be my wife and that we would raise Happy together as a family… Back then I might have thought about it once or twice, but never anything serious. One day she died, or rather went to Edolas. After she disappeared, I was lost. She was my best friend, she was more important to me than anyone else at the time and then she was just gone. Mira was the one that helped me get through it, I have a lot to thank her for just being there for me throughout the whole thing. She was always so strong in front of everyone, being that rock for them that they all needed despite having just lost her own sister. She saved me from myself by being around, making me take things day by day. We got closer as I started to rely on her more and more, until I saw what she was really going through. It killed me to see her hold in her tears, to force herself to be strong for everyone else's sake while sacrificing her own sanity so as to not worry anyone. I decided that if she could be that for me, I could be that for her. She could cry around me, she could let out her anguish and I wouldn't judge her, just let her let everything out."

Wendy listened and nodded, knowing how hard it was to lose someone and not know what to do about it. Natsu had been that person for her back in Cait Shelter. "Then why were you two never together? If you two meant so much to one another, why weren't there any feelings?"

"Lisanna." Natsu answered, looking over to stare at Mira for a moment. "There were feelings there and more than once we talked about admitting them, about what we could be to one another. It always came back to Lisanna. We felt it would betray her memory, so we spent less time together to ensure we didn't cross that line. The less we saw of each other, the more we were sure that it was the right thing to do, so we ended up just seeing one another at the guild, letting time take our feelings from us. It was before the need to really find my mate took over, so I didn't understand at the time what I was giving up. Even after Lisanna came back, we couldn't get back together, too much time had passed and we didn't know if we should pick up where we left off or if we should even try again. Eventually all that was left between us was the smile that she would give me when I took another job, the same one she gives me now. Lisanna however… she was different, we could never be as close as we once were. Something about her had changed, or maybe it was me that had changed. No matter what I did, I couldn't feel the same way about her as I had before she was gone; maybe it was because every time I was around her, I felt her sister holding me while I cried and guilt kept me from pursuing her."

"After I finally decided on my feelings for Lucy and she turned me down, Mira come over to cheer me up. She was trying to be that girl that she had been when her sister had left." Natsu said sadly, not hiding his smile at the memory. "But I couldn't do anything at the time, I thought I had found that one person I needed and I couldn't be with her… It was too late. I had marked Lucy, so Mira could be nothing for me, even if she didn't want me."

Wendy pushed herself back off Natsu's lap, realizing just how close she had pulled herself over the course of the night before taking a seat next to him, clutching his arm tightly as she pressed against his side, still wanting to be near him. "So you decided to run?"

Natsu nodded woodenly. "I had to. I was forcing Lucy into something she hadn't wanted at the time. I couldn't stand to see the way Mira was torn apart by everything again." He sighed and closed his eyes. "Count yourself among the lucky ones Wendy. Neither Gajeel nor I had a choice on who we could mark. Female Dragon Slayers somehow have the ability to choose their mate."

Wendy shook her head. "That isn't how it works. It isn't that we choose who we want, our instincts just aren't as defined as yours are. Since we have to bear the child, our ability lets us mask our mating instincts until we are ready to find that one person that can properly take care of us and give us the child that our instincts want."

Natsu chuckled and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tight against his side, feeling every angle on her body that had changed over the past six years. He kissed the top of her head and smiled at how comfortable he felt holding her. '_Stop thinking like that! She is in pain, don't turn this into something it isn't!_' he reprimanded himself in his head. "You will find that guy one day Wendy. Now, why don't you explain what happened between you and Romeo before I go find him myself and beat it out of him?"

Wendy took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. "I broke up with him." She offered quietly.

Natsu raised an eyebrow to her. "You already told me that. It doesn't explain why you took it so hard, or even why you did it. You looked happy with him."

"That's because he always reminded me of you." She whispered, not expecting Natsu to hear it. He let his eyes widen slightly, but left it alone, it wasn't for him to interrupt her. Wendy regained her thoughts and pushed him away. "It's your fault anyways!" Natsu recoiled at the sudden outburst and was about to question her when she softened and kept talking. "I saw him kiss one of the other girls in town about a week ago… I avoided him as long as I could, but tonight was just too much and I couldn't do it, he pulled me aside to ask me what was wrong… I confronted him about the kiss. He told me I was overreacting, that the kiss didn't mean all that much yet, but that he hadn't been happy for a little while. He hadn't wanted to tell me about dating her as well because he wanted to see where things would go with her first."

Natsu grabbed her and drew her into a tight hug, clenching his eyes shut to keep his anger back. "I'm so sorry Wendy. I don't know what to say, but at least I know that when I see him I'll know what to say to him…"

She ignored his comment. "He always wanted to be like you. He said that if someone as strong as you could have two women, then why couldn't he. You have both Lucy and Mira… he thought it would have been okay if he found another girl… He told me he was happy leaving things the way they were because he didn't want to wait until I was ready to give myself to him completely to have sex with someone, so he had decided to find someone to help him with his 'needs'. He even got mad at me when I told him to choose this new girl or me, saying I had no right to ask so much of him, to take pleasure from him just because I didn't want to have sex… I told him more about how Dragon Slayer's love, which they give their everything, and it couldn't be taken back once it was given. He said he loved me, but it wouldn't be enough to only be with me! Because you had two women, he thought he needed more than me!" Tears welled up in her eyes out of pain and anger before they finally started to fall down her cheeks.

Natsu grabbed her shoulders and pushed her out to an arm's length to look into her eyes, grabbing her chin when she tried to look away. "Listen to me. No man has the right to assume he is strong enough for more than one woman, or too good to only be with one woman. Especially if that woman is you. Anyone that isn't willing to throw away everything to be with you is crazy. The fact that he even thought he could make you understand why he wanted to be with anyone else just blows my mind." He couldn't believe that Romeo had tried to do this to Wendy, but was disgusted that it was so close to his own situation, that Romeo had based his decision off of Natsu's love life.

Wendy must have had thought the same thing. "Then why do you put Mira and Lucy through this? Why are you good enough for two women? How is what you are doing any different from what he did to me?" She was screaming at him now, rousing the few people that were left in the guild. They all cast glares at him, but he glared back at them to ensure they would remain silent before he turned back to the woman in front of him.

"I never said my situation was different from what you are going through Wendy." He said softly. "I know they deserve better than what I am putting them through, that I will never be able to give them what they deserve in life, and I will spend every single day that I am with them to make them happier and do everything I can to try to make up for this. I did not force them into this though, I was willing to take the mark from Lucy and let my pain stay the way it was. When Mira came to me, knowing that she would never have my full heart, that a part of me would always be for Lucy, she accepted. She knew that they may not be the only ones, but they still chose me. I would die before I purposely hurt them. If they choose one day that they have had enough of me, I would let them go. I would take their mark back into me and let them walk away." His throat tightened at the thought of them leaving him, either of them. "They make me happier than I have a right to. If they demanded that I choose, I wouldn't be able to do it, hell… I _couldn't_ do it. When you find that mate you are searching for, maybe you will understand what I mean." Natsu said quietly. Finally looking up into her eyes he pulled her closer to him, breathing in deeply as he tried to calm the torrent of emotions spreading through him. Her smell was enchanting and…

A sudden realization of where his thoughts were planning on leading caused him to shove the woman back from him before scrambling back away from her. His eyes never left Wendy's surprised gaze, the confused look that questioned why he had acted like that. Her eyes widened as she swore she could see a red and black shadow crawl out of Natsu's back, as if it was his essence coming out to show her what he wanted. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. She gasped when she saw it was a dragon and she shook slightly at the hungry look it was giving her before she looked down into Natsu's eyes and saw fear and regret. "Natsu?" She asked quietly, moving towards him. Her small movement towards him caused him to flinch, throwing him back further before standing and running out of the guild hall from the confused women.

Lucy and Mirajane both watched as Natsu fled from their sights, having felt the desire roll through their bond with him. They turned back to Wendy, who stared at the door as if something had been ripped away from her. "You know what you saw, don't you?" Lucy asked her before sliding over to the blue haired Dragon Slayer. Wendy nodded and fell against the woman. "I don't think you have to worry about it." Mirajane said taking a seat on the other side. "The way his emotions fought against his instincts there… he won't try anything, especially after what happened with you and Romeo."

Wendy looked down at her hands. "I'm not afraid of it." She said quietly. "I'm not afraid of him trying to mark me… What makes me worry is that I wanted him to… As soon as I saw that… It was as if he was calling for me to love him with everything in his heart. I don't want to be just another woman to him, though. I want to find someone that I can be 'the one' for… I want to find my one and only…"

Mirajane and Lucy shared a look before looking back down at the Dragon Slayer between them. They couldn't consider her a girl any longer, she had grown too much for that, but they couldn't help but feel her pain at the thought. They themselves had wanted that before they had known what they could have with Natsu. They were both willing to give up anything to be with him, even if it meant sharing him. "Shouldn't you go after him?" Wendy asked quietly.

"He'll be fine, Wendy." Lucy said.

"He can't go anywhere that we can't find him, he just needs some time to think all of this over and decide where exactly this might lead." Mirajane said agreeing with Lucy.

**As always, R & R please!**

**Before you say anything about Wendy being too young and what not, remember this is six years AFTER they get back from Tenrou. And no, this sentence does not mean that he will choose Wendy as his very own Dragon Slayer mate. Why doesn't it mean that? Because I had to preemptively stop all the hate comments about how Natsu is a pedophile for going after a 12 year old girl. She isn't 12 anymore, so leave it alone.**


	15. Another Mate?

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

Natsu is Awesome –  
**I completely didn't think to explain what Wendy looks like! I'll explain that right now before you continue with the chapter. Think Edolas Wendy but less serious and a much smaller chest. I know I'm really bad at descriptions, but that is how I've pictured here.**

**Chapter 15: Another mate?**

* * *

**-Natsu-**

Orange light welcomed Natsu as he sprinted through the town to indicate the early rise of the sun, spurring him onwards as he wove in and out of the town's inhabitants that were going about their business, diving over those that fell in an attempt to get out of his way. Her scent was still strong in his nose. It called to him, begged him to turn around and return to the woman. That constant hunger growing with every step he took away from the guild, all of his instincts telling him to turn around and claim his fellow Dragon Slayer as his own. Natsu suppressed his instincts, following his heart instead. His heart told him to run, to keep away from her. He didn't want to hurt her more than he already had, more than Romeo had.

Just thinking about the young male made Natsu growl irritably. If he found the man before he got out of the city, he would not have thought twice before he snapped the mage in two. Anger flowed through him, threading past his fear at hurting Wendy. How could Romeo do that to Wendy, Wendy had been his girlfriend at the time. The Romeo he knew would never have done something as careless as this to hurt his loved ones. Now Wendy wasn't with Romeo any longer, now Natsu had a chance to claim her as **his**.

Natsu's eyes widened at the thought that had wormed itself into his mind and before he realized it, he had drawn black flames from within him to surround his body. People screamed and ran in fear of the Dragon Slayer as he came to a stop, blackening the ground around his feet with his dark flames. He had to get away from town as fast as he could, the further away he was the easier it would be to take control over his instincts and he would be able to reason out what had to be done about this. He couldn't help her get over from Romeo's actions if he was just going to put her in the same situation with him.

"**Shadow Flame Step.**" He whispered, seemingly disappearing from the naked eye. He sprinted along the ground as fast as his magic would let him, the buildings around him barely a recognizable blur of color while his feet skimmed across the ground.

"Romeo, stop! Not in public!" A woman's voice. Natsu stopped dead in his tracks, dirt and stone billowing past him as he listened for the voice again. A small giggle sounded not far off and he could almost taste the venom in his mouth at the sound, the sound of the woman who had ultimately come between Wendy and Romeo. 'No.' He told himself. 'Remember who hurt who. Romeo knew better, this is his fault.'

Natsu leapt to the top of the nearest building and strained his eyes and ears to narrow down his search for the couple. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his eyes settled on the two not too far off, Romeo having pinned the girl to a wall while he pressed kisses to her neck. Natsu lost all rationale, seeing red and reacting before he completely thought it through. He should have given the mage a few choice words and a promise to continue the conversation once he had calmed down. She should have walked away. He should have waited to confront the male when he could think clearly.

He did none of these things, instead opting to land heavily to the ground behind Romeo, flames drawn over his fists. Romeo let go of the woman and spun to meet his unknown foe, blue flames spreading across his own fists in case he had to protect himself. His eyes widened and he smiled happily at the sight of the Dragon Slayer, not picking up on the deadly aura around them and letting his fire die out. "Natsu-nii what-"

Natsu's fist connected with the other's jaw before he could finish his sentence, sending him crashing into the building. "Leave." Natsu growled at the woman, not bothering to look at her as he stepped through the hole in the wall he had created with Romeo's body. He couldn't care les if the woman left or not, his attention was riveted on the mage that was now staggering to his feet. "Natsu-nii, what was that for?"

Natsu grabbed Romeo's collar and picked him up off the ground. "You know exactly _who_ this is about." He growled, fire dripping from his fists in a near liquid form, burning holes in Romeo's clothes wherever they landed. Romeo frowned at him and looked as if he was about to say something, but Natsu cut him off again. "If you think I would stand back as you broke the heart of one of my friends because she wouldn't fuck you, then you have another thing coming."

"I didn't make her leave, but I'm not willing to wait until she is ready. I'm ready now, so if she can't give it to me, then I'll just find someone who can." Romeo said calmly. "Besides, you don't have any room to talk. You have two women, why shouldn't I be allowed to have two as well? I'm not as weak as I was six years ago; I will make my own decisions."

Natsu slammed Romeo into the ground, shattering the floorboards of the store they were standing in. "I didn't choose this!" He yelled, causing those that hadn't already left the building to flee so they wouldn't get between the two mages. "I would **kill** to only be with one woman I love, but it doesn't work that way. I can't love just one woman, and I already love two. If I had to go my life with only one woman, I would have been happy because I could give her everything that I have. Because of my magic I can't take just one mate, and I have to live with that regret for the rest of my life. Live with the regret that whoever I end up with, that no matter how much I love them and care for them, that I will hurt them by being with other women, no matter how much I don't like it. I should **kill** you for the way you hurt Wendy. She will be ready when she finds and devotes herself to that one mate she will have, no sooner and no later."

"Then why didn't she give herself to me yet, why is she still waiting?!" Romeo asked heatedly.

Natsu picked him up and slammed him to the ground again. "If you would have just manned up and said something to her instead of sleeping with some cheap floosy, maybe you could have been everything to her."

"You left for six years while Lucy and Mira and the rest of us cried about you being gone, about you leaving without a single word, and now you expect me act like a man? I can at least move on, I could get past a broken heart."

"Do you really think I would have stayed around when I was forcing my feelings onto Lucy, forcing her feelings for me to grow whether she wanted them or not? I know Wendy explained how this works with you, and I know you saw what I was willing to go through to take those feelings away from her, to let her decide for herself." Natsu said shoving Romeo into the ground once again before standing. "If I so much as smell another tear on Wendy's eyes because of you, I will come back and show you exactly why you should not mess with a Dragon's mate."

Romeo scoffed. "She isn't your mate. Besides, you can't keep me from her, I'm stronger than I used to be. If you hadn't surprised me back there, I could have taken you."

"You are right, she isn't my mate. Not yet." Natsu growled. "But if you so much as take a swing at me because of this, it will be your last with that arm. If you hurt her again, I promise that I will make you regret it." In the blink of an eye, Natsu was gone again, leaving Romeo to think about the threats Natsu had laid out. Natsu wasted no further time leaving the town and heading back to his house, where he could drown himself in his chosen mates' scent in an attempt to rid himself of Wendy's allure. It shook him at how little control he had of himself if he was willing to stake his claim for Wendy from just a few harsh words from Romeo, he was in more trouble than he had thought.

* * *

**-Fairy Tail Guild Hall-**

Lucy pushed her hair back over her shoulder as she processed what Wendy was talking about. The three of them had just finished picking up all of the tables and chairs from the party the night prior before taking a seat at the bar. "You want him to mark you?" Lucy asked, finally speaking up.

Wendy was content with staring at her hands in her lap. "It isn't that I don't want him to. The look in his eyes just before he left… I saw the guilt in them, but behind the guild I could see that he was calling to me, begging me to stop him from running away. I couldn't do it, he already has you two, he shouldn't want me. I can't be just another woman to him, I can't just be someone to bend to his every will."

Mirajane laughed aloud, breaking the tension that had been building. The other two turned to look at her quizzically. "Tell me Wendy, do we look like we have fallen under a spell? Do you think we are any less than what we were before we got together with Natsu?"

Wendy fiddled with her hands and shook her head. "You two have always been so strong and independent that I couldn't have thought you two would change. But you are always at his side, getting him food whenever he is hungry, you are always with him, and wherever he goes you follow him. Not to mention… that you both… well you know…" She trailed off, leaving her point out for the two to put together.

"Sex." Mirajane said bluntly. "We have sex with him."

Wendy nodded while avoiding eye contact with the two. "Yeah, you have… sex with him… Don't you ever feel used? Like he would just go to the other if you didn't give him what he wanted?"

Lucy placed her hand on Wendy's knee. "You know what it entails to mark someone." Lucy pulled the top of her shirt down just enough to reveal the spiraling vortex that Natsu had given her. "Natsu doesn't love us any less just because there are two of us. If anything, I would have to say he cares more because of the guild he feels, knowing that he can never devote himself to just one of us. I know he feels we deserve better than him, but it isn't true, I couldn't ask for more from him. As far as everything else goes? You cannot expect Natsu to cook for himself, he is more likely to destroy what he is trying to cook and make a bigger mess. I can't help but watch him, we haven't been together for a month, but it doesn't feel real, it feels like I'm living in a dream."

"Every time I catch his eye, my heart stops. I may not be the only one in his life, but whenever I am around him, he makes me feel like he would die without me." Mirajane added, imputing her thoughts to the conversation. "I can feel how much he cares for Lucy all the same. At first I thought I could only love her for what she meant to him, for being another part of him. I didn't think I would grow my own feelings for her." Her eyes caught Lucy's and she smiled, placing her hand over Lucy's on Wendy's knee. "Now I couldn't imagine going home without her. I love you Lucy, and I know it isn't the same as if Natsu says it, but I want you in my life all the same."

Lucy blushed and nodded shyly. "I never thought about a woman as a partner before, but with Mira… I don't know what it would be like without her. Maybe it is just because of the bond, or maybe it is because we are always together. Either way, I love you too Mira."

Wendy blushed and looked between the two, amazed and embarrassed at how open they were about their relationship. "I didn't realize how strongly you two felt about it." She whispered.

"Do you love Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"No." Wendy admitted with a shake of her head. "Despite always being there for me, after saving Cait Shelter and showing me that I don't have to be alone, that Fairy Tail is more than a guild, that everyone here is a part of a larger family. He has always been so strong and caring that I feel an obligation to him, to find a way about showing him what he did for me. I want to repay him for everything, but I have never thought about him romantically. But… the way he looked at me, the way his essence seemed to call to me… I have never felt so wanted. Not even when I was with Romeo, don't get me wrong, he always showed me that he cared for me and that I was important to him… But just that one look from Natsu was enough to make my heart skip a beat, like he needed me. No one has ever looked at me like that before."

Lucy smiled. "He has that way about him. If you tell him what you feel, I'm sure he would understand. Despite how strong his urges are, I don't think he could ever force you into something that you did not want to do. Just look at what he did for me; he left for six years until he could let me decide without the bond."

"He just got back; I don't want him to leave again already." Wendy said confidently. "I don't want to make him leave just because I can't tell him that I love him."

The doors at the end of the hall slammed open, making all three of them jump before they saw Romeo limping into the room with Gray helping him along, dropping the mage off at a table before motioning over to Wendy. "Could you heal him Wendy?" Gray asked calmly, knowing what had happened between the two of them.

"Of course." She said weakly. "He is still a guild mate… What happened Romeo-san?"

"Your boyfriend decided to slam me around for hurting you, even though it was you that broke up with me." He said coolly.

"He isn't my boyfriend Romeo-san." She whispered while she finished healing him. "I wouldn't have asked him to do this even if he was, I'm sorry he hurt you…"

"Whatever. He made it perfectly clear that you were his. Deny it all you want, but if he gets you like he says he will, you will be just another one of his whores." He said ripping his arm back from Wendy. "Apparently those two aren't enough for him. Apparently after two years with me isn't enough o mate with me, but an hour with him is."

Wendy stepped away from Romeo, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "How can you say something like that? You cheated on me, it wasn't the other way around. Besides, he has more respect than to simply ask me to mate with him. It is my choice whether I do or not. He just left before he met you, running so he wouldn't try to bring me into something I didn't want." She shook with partial anger, but mainly sadness. Why had Romeo changed so much, or had she been so blind to not see how he really felt about her. "Natsu isn't like you. He has never been this cold to anyone like you are being to me right now. I can't believe you would go so far as to call Mira-san and Lucy-san whores. You have changed, and I'm sorry you felt that you had to hurt me to feel better about what you did." Wiping away her tears the best she could, she forced a smile to her lips and waved over to Lucy, Gray, and Mirajane. "I'm going to go and…"

Her words trailed off and she turned to stare out the door midsentence, the smell of fire and brimstone attacking her senses.

"Natsu…" Mirajane whispered crossing the small distance to the door, Lucy hot on her trail. They oculdn't smell like Wendy could, but they could feel the same feeling they had from him when Sekena had attacked. It was slightly different, not a desperate attempt for power, but as if he was drawing from every possible outlet to give himself strength to resist something. He was calling for them, pleading almost. "**Trinity.**" It was Mirajane who spoke, but a darker voice laced with hers again, Sekena trying to step up and explain the situation. Mirajane forced her down mentally to prepare herself for what was to come as the three women left the two confused men behind in the guild hall.

* * *

**-Dragneel Household-**

"I said I would have you Natsu. I only had to track Sekena to finally find you again. I don't know what you did to her, but I can't feel her anymore. I don't know what you did to her, but I can help keep her from you, I can protect you from her Natsu. We can be together after that, we can finally be happy together." Trinity said happily, taking a few slow steps towards Natsu. "I promise I won't attack your play things anymore, if they make you happy I'll let them stay, as long as I can have you. I just want you to love me." Trinity cooed while walking closer.

He backed away step by step in an attempt to get away from the Earth Dragon Slayer. "Please Trinity; I can't do this right now. A friend of mine has been hurt and I need to focus on that, I can't deal with the possibility of a new mate."

"Is she more important to you than I am?" Trinity's voice changed instantly, growing cold and distant. "Do I need to kill her to get her off your mind?"

Natsu stopped in his retreat, confidence growing within him. He knew that he couldn't attack her unless she threatened one of his mates. His instinct told him to go to her and to take her as his own, but he would protect his mates from her if he had to. "I wouldn't advise attacking her Trinity. You do not want to see that side of me again, and if you do I will have to stop you. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to force myself on you either."

Trinity's confidence swelled visibly at his comment. "You find yourself in need of another Dragon Slayer finally, don't you? You don't have to fight it Natsu, just give in to your needs. I want to take care of them. I want to be your mate; I want you to force yourself on me. Show me your strength." She giggled at the thought, walking closer to him while swaying her hips.

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off of her, watching as the woman before him slowly crossed the distance between them. He noted absently that she was slightly taller than him now as his eyes traveled over her thin frame. She wore a skin tight outfit that was divided into three sections; the main body of the suit and the legs of the suit from the thing down are black with red trimming, with the space in between being a blood red. She wore fingerless leather gloves that were engraved with flames, trailing up her arm to stop just above her elbow. As his eyes traveled up and down her body, he noticed her breasts hadn't changed over the years, still leaving her rather flat chested.

Natsu closed his eyes to try and get her out of his mind and crouched against the wall while clenching his fists in his hair. He didn't want Trinity, it wasn't really him that wanted her, he just wanted her to appease the need for another Dragon Slayer. "I need Wendy…" He whispered. She was kind, she was strong willed, and he knew he cared for her. He didn't love her, not yet, but he knew that he could grow to care for her even more. If he were to mate with Trinity, he would grow those same feelings for her, but was it worth the little sanity that he had left. The little sanity he had left was held together by Mirajane and Lucy's constant love and presence. Their constant presence gave him hope that he could get over his past, but with Trinity he wouldn't have to. She would accept everything he had done, could he say that for Wendy, or even for the others for that matter. Could they feel the same way about him if they knew of the blood on his hands?

"Mira… Lucy… please… hurry." He whispered as drew in every piece of strength he had left to reinforce his will to hold back from claiming Trinity.

"Don't be that way Natsu; I know about what you've done, you don't have to regret any of it. You wouldn't be as strong as you are if none of it happened." Trinity said almost sadly, kneeling down in front of him. "You don't have to pretend to be anyone you aren't around me."

"I'm not pretending to be anyone. I don't want to go back to that. I moved on." He said weakly, his determination fading away the closer she was to him. A small smile spread across his lips as his heart sank deeper. "If you are so sure, would you be willing to make a deal?"

Looking at him quizzically, she frowned. "I would do anything to have you; you just have to name it."

"They don't know about what happened, if you are so confident that I'm hiding behind them; stop this until I tell them. If they reject me because of it or if anything comes between us I won't fight it any longer. I'll mate with you if she leaves. No sooner."

Trinity reached out and cupped his cheek, smiling. "We can be together then?"

Natsu pushed away from her to his feet and turned his back to her, his hair covering his eyes as he stared at his feet. "If she leaves." He agreed.

Natsu stood with his back to the woman, not a dozen steps from the door that lead into his home, waiting for his two mates to join him, waiting for Wendy to answer his call.

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**There is a poll going up on my page, make sure you vote there. The next 2 or 3 chapters will be an explanation of what happened over the six years that Natsu had been gone. You will decide what happens after those three chapters. I'm hoping for at least 20 votes by the time the backstory is complete. If not, we will have to see how much time it takes to get to that many votes. I won't continue until those votes are set up.**


	16. Natsu's Travel's

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

* * *

**Chapter 16 – **Natsu's Travel's

* * *

Natsu stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity. He could feel Trinity's eyes on him as if he would disappear again if she looked away. To be fair, it wouldn't have been the first time he had vanished on her. Irritation crept across his face and he had to close his eyes to keep himself from snapping at her, sucking in a deep breath to calm his nerves. The only thing that kept him from jumping the few short feet towards the woman was that he knew if he got too close, he wouldn't be able to pull himself away.

Slow, even breaths let him focus on the sensation of his mates' arrival. There were running as fast as they could, but they were still minutes away. Another scent assaulted him before he could ready himself and suddenly Wendy was breaking through the surrounding trees, her wind assisting her in her travel. She focused on Natsu for a single heartbeat before she caught Trinity out of the corner of her eye.

A battle cry left Wendy's lips as she charged who she thought was causing Natsu so much pain. Wind swirled around the woman as she screamed, but felt her breath catch the moment Natsu snatched her out of the air. She had been so focused on Trinity that she hadn't seen him move, but it struck her harder that he had stopped her from attacking Trinity.

"Natsu-san? Why did you stop me, isn't she the one that made you call for us?" Wendy asked quietly, thoroughly confused. She turned up to see the same expression on his face that he had just moments before he had run before. Natsu sucked in a sharp breath and grit his teeth together before forcing himself to let her go and take a step back.

"I didn't want to put you in this position Wendy. I wanted to let you develop your feelings for Romeo; I wanted you to choose someone normal." He said quietly, still backing away from her until he felt there was enough room between them. It was only slightly easier to push himself away from her than it was Trinity, but only because he had known her longer and knew what she felt for the situation already.

Natsu's eyes shot up and to the side at the same moment Lucy and Mirajane broke through the tree line. He stabilized his legs a single heartbeat before both women attacked him, throwing themselves around him. No words were needed between them; they knew he was suffering from holding himself back. They could feel how much he wanted to be around the Dragon Slayers and willingly gave themselves to him to help pull him back from doing something he might regret. He wrapped his arms protectively around their waists and closed his eyes while his head dropped between them, giving each a gentle kiss on their shoulder.

"Promise me you will hear out what I have to say before you judge me." He said quietly, the breeze drowning out his voice. He knew the sound would carry to the other Dragon Slayers. Trinity giggled absently and pulled her long black braid over her shoulder to play with it, already knowing most of what he had planned on telling them. Wendy on the other hand, stood motionless, even more confused than when she had first gotten there. "This may take a while." He continued. "Why don't we go inside so I can explain."

Gently taking a hand from the two women that were holding onto him, he led the four of them into the house, being careful to avoid eye contact with the two Dragon Slayers.

He sat down on the edge of the couch while the women took places around him, Lucy to his left and Mirajane to his right on the couch while Wendy sat in one of the chairs and Trinity took up residence a few feet away against a wall, keeping her eyes on Natsu the whole time.

Finally Mirajane broke the silence. "What do you need to tell us, Natsu? You know that you can tell us anything, we aren't here just to look pretty for you." Her comment made Natsu smile lightly to himself and he squeezed her knee appreciatively.

"I can't just jump into it, so I'll start when I left. Just bear with me for a little while… please." He said quietly.

* * *

**-Six Years Prior-**

_Natsu sighed lightly as his eyes traveled over the guild that he had spent so many years at, at where his life had started after he lost his adoptive father. _"Ne, Natsu." _Happy spoke up quietly while hovering over his shoulder. _"Do you think we could go in, I'm sure everyone would like to see us." _He waited patiently for an answer, not wanting to push his partner any further than he already had. He knew how much pain Natsu was going through, but wished that he would snap out of it already. He wanted his partner back, wanted him to be happy, to smile and laugh like he used to._

"I'll meet you back home." _Natsu said shaking his head and turning to head back towards their house. Stopping momentarially he looked over his shoulder at the sad cat, knowing full well what he was about to do would hurt him more than he wished to. _"Make sure to get a good one, something that will be quick. The sooner we get back to town… I'd like to see everyone again." _He watched as Happy's appearance changed completely, dawning the cheerful smile that he had once had. _"Aye!"

_As soon as the cat was off towards the guild Natsu headed home and quickly grabbed a spare change of clothes before writing a few letters to the guild. Setting them down on the table, he placed a final one that he had written Lucy's name on it. Inside he had explained that he didn't blame her for his departure, but thanked her for showing him how weak willed he had been. With a last moment's thoughts, he burnt the letters and wrote a small one. He placed that on the front door, using his heat to burn his name into the corner of the page so Happy would know it was really from him._

_Natsu gave his house a final glance before slinging his pack over a shoulder and running off, not in the direction of the guild or the train station, but towards the last place he had seen his adoptive father. He heard a wail not far behind him and knew that Happy had found his letter. _"I'll be back one day." _Natsu said quietly before willing his feet to take him farther from the exceed, farther from the guild, farther from his pain._

* * *

**-Two Months Later-**

_Natsu ran his fingers through his hair and forced his breath to stay even. He hadn't made it to his previous home yet. Instead he had heard a rumor of a Dragon that was frequenting a forest to the north near the sea. On the off chance that it was his father, he hadn't needed to force himself to investigate. Alas, it was not his father, but a large brown Dragon. He was standing in front of said Dragon now, happy that he had indeed found someone to help him with his situation, but disappointed it wasn't his father._

"I'm sorry for my harsh words, I was expecting my father." _He explained with the bow of his head, acknowledging the power the Dragon possessed. _

"**I never expected a Dragon Slayer to bow down to a Dragon.**" _Sekena growled, her eyes narrowing. She snarled slightly at the young man in front of her. _"**What kind of fool are you to show yourself to a Dragon, knowing that just being around one can get you killed.**"

_Natsu didn't flinch, but smiled instead. _"I come to ask a favor. My mate does not want me, so I need a way to remove it." _He sighed and looked back up at the Dragon in front of him, hoping against everything he knew that he would find a way around his situation._

_Sekena laughed aloud, her voice rumbling through the trees while shaking the ground. _"**You really are a fool. Igneel should have taught you better. If you can't get your first mate to accept you, how do you expect your others to bow before you?**" _She shook her head and looked back over her shoulder. _"**Trinity, get over here.**"

_Natsu stood stunned at what he had heard. It couldn't be true, Igneel had told him that he had to find his one mate and make sure to keep her around, to protect her from everything. _"**I'll tell you how it works, but in return you will mate with my daughter.**" _Sekena continued, causing him to flinch once again, finally taking notice of the girl at her side as she hid slightly behind one of the Dragon's legs. _

"I don't even know her, I can't agree to something like that. Even if I knew her, I wouldn't be able to. I already found my mate, and even if she won't have me, I won't choose another." _Natsu stood defiantly against the Dragon, holding his ground on his values. He glared at the large creature until Sekena laughed again. _"**Then I will explain it to you so you understand.**"

* * *

**-One Month Later-**

_Natsu jumped back from Trinity's attack, backing up as she continued her assaults on him. He had lost count how many times they had sparred, the woman demanding that they fight multiple times a day until she gained his affection. She had yet to realize that no matter how many times they fought, he wouldn't change his mind. Ducking below her extended fist, Natsu grabbed her wrist and vaulted her over him, slamming her into the ground before stepping onto her chest. _"Stop this Trinity. You won't beat me until you learn more from Sekena. You can't learn anything else from her if you keep insisting on fighting me like this. I'm too strong for you yet."

_It wasn't that he didn't enjoy a good fight, in fact it was the only thing that could keep him sane right now. The constant fights kept him from falling back into his depression, falling further from where he needed to be. He had to be stronger if he was going to take the mark from his mate, that much Sekena had been able to tell him. He was able to take it from her right now, but he wouldn't survive the removal. Sekena had told him that she would make him stronger, give him the power to protect his mates. _

_He finally agreed with her and understood what his father meant in the Dragon's mind. He knew how strongly she felt for his father. He had promised to find him for her, to help her retrieve her mate that she hadn't been able to claim. It was the least he could do for her information on what he was, on what his father was. _

_Shaking his head, Natsu stepped off Trinity and pulled her up. _"I'll get stronger for you." _She said quietly, the corners of her lips turning up in a shy smile. _"Even if you don't want me right now, you will one day. One day you will see exactly what I am offering you, what I am willing to do to show you that I'm here for you, Natsu." _She turned and skipped off towards her mother, completely fine that she hadn't been able to even touch him during a fight. She was getting closer though, getting faster and faster with each time they fought._

'I'm not progressing enough.' _Natsu thought to himself. _'I need to train harder or I will never be able to protect Lucy.' _Letting out a sigh, Natsu ran up to Sekena and stood in front of her. _"The sooner I get stronger and take the mark from Lucy, the sooner I can help you find Igneel. I thought you said you were going to help me, not make me fight your daughter until she can pose a threat to me." _He was getting angry and he knew his words meant nothing to the Dragon, but he had to do something other than sit there and wait for her to decide it was time. _

_Sekena looked down at him curiously. _"**Did you know that every time you hit her, I can feel it? I wonder if wherever you are if Igneel can feel your pain as well. I wonder what he would do if you died, I wonder if that would be enough to bring him back from wherever he went.**" _Before he could move she backhanded him, Trinity screaming at the sudden attack, fearful for the Dragon Slayer. _"**Either way, at least you won't have to worry about your problem with that whore any longer.**"

_Natsu awoke in the middle of a town in a small crater, his lungs barely working to gasp in a breath. Black flames surrounded him and he could see that several of the town's inhabitants were surrounding him worriedly. He groaned and let the flames die out and attempted to roll over onto his hands and knees. He spat blood instead, coughing as it failed to escape his throat from his position. He cried out as hands grabbed him and turned him over, his whole body screaming in protest as his wounds threatened to tear him apart. He almost blacked out again, but managed to hold onto the threads of consciousness. _

"He's a Fairy Tail mage!" _Someone cried out, noticing his mark. _"Send someone to the mayor to have them come get him!"

_Natsu pushed himself up again, ignoring the pain. _"No… don't… call… Fairy… Tail…" _He managed weakly, shaking his head. _"Please…" _His voice pleaded with them, meeting unsure gazes all around. Finally a couple of them nodded and helped him up, all but dragging him to the hospital in town. _

_As soon as he was in a bed, he thought about how he had gotten there, remembering the black flames that were surrounding him when he had woken up. _'**I didn't raise a weakling.**' _The voice of his father echoed in his head and he nodded to himself. Once he was strong enough to move on his own, he would get stronger in his attempt to run from Sekena. He knew she wouldn't let him off easy by his sudden departure._

_It only took Natsu two days to get his strength back before he set out again on his own to get stronger._

* * *

**-Six Months Later-**

_Natsu jolted awake in a cold sweat. He looked around him and could tell that there were in fact no intruders around the campfire he had placed in the woods. How long had it been since he had decided to chase this particular Dark Guild, testing his strength against anyone that would fight him. He knew his limits now, more so than he had when he was with Fairy Tail. There was no one to back him up, no one to turn to when he needed help. He had to get stronger if he was to survive in this world. _

_It didn't matter, he had to do this. Sekena would find him eventually, and he needed to be able to beat her, or fast enough to run if it proved useless to fight. Before, he had never thought of running from a fight. His near death with Sekena had brought that to an end, he knew now how weak he really was. So he fought to get stronger._

_He stayed silent while he waited. They would come through here eventually, as they had for the past few weeks. Sounds in the distance made him smile. This particular guild had been kidnapping lone travelers to take them back to their guild, selling them off as slaves._

_The slavers came through the clearing quickly, blades drawn and smirking when they saw the Dragon Slayer alone. Natsu played as if he was afraid of them, backing into a tree while fumbling with his words as if he was attempting to bribe them to leave him alone. He waited until they got closer before launching into action. He struck the closest with his fist, sending him flying into a tree. Natsu brought the black flames to his elbows and dodged the other two's attacks. Igniting the flames again, he thrust his fist into one of their sides, making him drop his knife. The other laughed and brought his hands up in front of him. Suddenly Natsu found himself dodging under water sprouts that had surrounded the man. _'Faster. Faster. Faster.' _Natsu screamed at himself in his mind, losing himself to the rhythm of the battle._

_He dodged under an attack and quickly threw a burst of flames from his palm at the man, but they were drowned out by another stream of water. Natsu roared in anger and coated himself in his black flames. He dodged faster, ducked under attacks and spun past the mage. He forgot about the other two, focusing on the individual that was giving him trouble at the moment. _

_A cry from behind him alerted him of another incoming body, but the cry had come from one of the men he was fighting. He didn't understand it, but ignored it when a spike of water stabbed into his shoulder. He wasn't fast enough, still wasn't strong enough. The water mage's attacks flowed faster, synchronizing seamlessly until Natsu felt something strike him in the back of the head, his vision darkening. _

_In a roar of defiance, Natsu spun, backhanding the woman that had attacked him. He gasped at the sight, not expecting one of the three to be a woman. She regained her composure before he could and attacked again, a sword flashing into his view. Natsu grabbed the flat of the blade and screamed as it cut into his fingers, but in the end his fire won out in the end, melting the blade down to the hilt. Anger flowed freely and he lost his calm mind. _

_Tears flowed down his cheeks and he grabbed the woman by her throat. She looked a little like Lucy, her blond hair held to the side in a ponytail. Her eyes were green though. He brought his other fist into her face as hard as he could, flames licking at her delicate features. He ducked under an attack of the water and slammed her into the ground. She screamed in pain and he could hear bones break upon impact. _

_Natsu shoved himself away, stumbling back at what he had done. The fourth figure appeared in front of him, the one that he had felt appear out of nowhere. The one that wasn't with the guild. He stared up at Trinity, unable to believe his eyes. If she was here, then surely Sekena wasn't far behind. He panicked, letting fear take him over once again. His eyes blackened as he screamed, drawing his body tightly together before exploding outwards in a flurry of fire. Fire filled the clearing in the blink of an eye._

_When the light died out, Trinity was huddled under a dome of blackened stone. The water mage screamed in pain, his entire left arm missing from the elbow down. He hadn't been able to bring his water barrier up in time and his screams rang out in the distance. Natsu quickly looked around for the other two mages, fearing the worst. The woman lay unconscious behind Trinity's barrier, but the third dark guild member was nowhere to be found; instead a black pile of ash remained where he had been standing just moments prior._

_Natsu couldn't believe what he was seeing. He hadn't really done it had he, it just couldn't have been possible. He had never gone too far like this; he had never been this desperate before. He physically shook at what was before him. He flinched when Trinity touched his shoulder gently, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. _"It's okay Natsu; you only did what you had to do." _She wore a sad smile on her face and cupped his cheek. _"This only proves how strong you can really be. I can help you control it, you just have to be willing to let me help you."

_Natsu pushed away from her hand and forced himself to shaky feet. _"It's not okay! I killed him! It doesn't matter that he tried to kill me first; I can't kill someone just because they wrong me! I don't WANT to be like this!" _Drawing in a shaky breath, he trudged over to the man, grabbing his arm just above his missing limb. _"Don't move, I'll help you."

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!" _The man screamed, pulling away from him and falling to the ground. He still held onto his stump but dug his heels into the ground to push him further away. _"Haven't you done enough! Don't kill me too!"

_Natsu walked slowly towards the man, his hands raised as if to say he wouldn't hurt him. _"I only want to help, let me make up for what I did; I can stop your bleeding! Let me help you!" _Natsu could feel anger rising in him, and it scared him. He was afraid that the man would die, but he was angry that he had been unable to control himself enough to prevent this. He grabbed the man again, bringing fire to his hand and forcing it onto the stump, singing the skin closed. The man screamed with renewed terror at the flames on his body, Natsu gritting his teeth as he listened._

_Trinity stepped behind the man and covered his mouth, muffling his screams slightly, but her eyes never left the Dragon Slayer. Once the man had passed out from the pain she dropped him and threw herself at Natsu, wrapping her arms around his neck. _"I knew you weren't weak Natsu. Let me protect you from Sekena. I can feel her; I can keep her away from us. We can be together after you remove your mark from Lucy."

_Natsu pushed her away roughly and shook his head, ashamed. He turned his back on her and let his tears fall silently, staring at the unconscious woman just a short distance off. The more he looked at her, the more he thought she looked like Lucy, the more he thought about how he hadn't been able to prevent himself from hurting her. If he couldn't stop himself from harming someone else, then how could he protect someone from another?_

_Natsu ran his hands through his hair, feeling the slick blood slide across his scalp and he shuddered. The water mage would live, as would the girl, but the other man… The other man had died because Natsu was too weak. The power his father had awakened in him was too much for him to handle, but he had to figure it out before he went home. Natsu swore to himself that he wouldn't use it unless he knew he could control it. He would protect others from himself. _

"I need you to leave Trinity." _He said shakily. _"I don't want you to help me right now; I need to deal with this problem on my own. Please, just give me a little while before you try to find me again. You can always find me when I leave her right? Sekena said it would call Dragon Slayers to me." _Trinity walked up to him and hugged him tightly to her. _

"I may be younger than you, but you don't have to worry about me. I protected myself today, I can protect you too. I won't be too far; I'll be there if you need me Natsu." _Trinity kissed his cheek gently before backing away, a smile plastered across her lips. Natsu watched her go before turning to the two unconscious mages. He would have to get them to town. No matter what they were guilty of, they didn't deserve to die._

* * *

**-Two Years After His Disappearance-**

_Natsu stood at the edge of Magnolia, watching the people he thought he remembered walk around. None of them recognized him and he didn't expect they would. His black cloak tied tight around his shoulders while the hood shadowed his features. He knew he shouldn't have been back yet, but he had to see her. He had to see that face again, had to make sure she was okay. He could feel her all the same, but it wouldn't be the same if he couldn't see her. Suddenly, there she was, laughing and joking with a short blue haired girl. Levy, it was Levy she was walking with. _

_He followed at a distance, telling himself to leave. He had seen her; it had been all he needed. He had seen her, so why couldn't he leave it at that? Maybe he could just touch her; no! He couldn't do that. He stopped in his tracks, letting them get a large distance on him. _

_His whole body tensed when a man stepped in front of them, someone he didn't recognize. A snarl crossed Natsu's face. He could smell the lust coming from the man. Getting closer, Natsu heard the end of the conversation. _"… still alright with eight?" _Natsu growled audibly and noticed when Lucy looked around them, as if she had heard him._

_Blending into the crowd, Natsu kept himself from sight while keeping his eyes on the trio. When they split up, Natsu felt himself follow the man. As much as he wanted to follow Lucy, he had to deal with the man first. Natsu kept his cloak tight around him while his eyes searched for anyone that would recognize him, anyone that could point him out. _

_As soon as he was close enough, Natsu grabbed the man by the back of his collar and pushed him into a dark alleyway. _"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" _The man asked heatedly, spinning to Natsu. _

"Leave Lucy alone." _Natsu growled. _

"Who do you think you are telling me what to do? I'll have you know that I happen to be a mage! And I will most certainly not leave my Lucy alone." _Natsu flinched at the man's words._

"_Your_ Lucy? **YOUR LUCY!**" _Natsu leapt on the man, tackling him to the ground. _"Lucy is mine, do you understand! You will not touch her!"

_The man scoffed and shoved Natsu away from him, waving a hand in the air, flames coming out of his ring to attack Natsu. Natsu laughed and blew the flames away before grabbing the man again, slamming him into the concrete. _"How long have you known her?" _He growled._

"Three weeks, as if it mattered. We are going on our second date tonight!" _Natsu recoiled before letting out a bloodcurdling cry, slamming his fist into the man's face. He couldn't stop himself, his fist kept falling on it's own accord. When he finally regained control of himself, the man was nothing more than a bloody mess on the ground, but breathing all the same. _"If you ever go near her again, I will be back." _Natsu turned and walked away, his hands shaking at what he had just done. Natsu had never run so fast in his life as when he was leaving town, for the second time._

* * *

**-Current Date in the Dragneel Household-**

"That was you!" Lucy cried out, standing up angrily. "I thought someone had mugged him all this time! And why did you come back if you didn't plan on telling someone you were here?" He understood her anger but motioned her to take a seat again.

"Please Lucy, you need to hear the rest." He said quietly.

"I don't want to hear anymore." She said heatedly. "I can't believe you did that, just because he was dating me at the time! At least tell me why you did it?"

Natsu stood up and pushed her back down to her seat, glaring down at her slightly. "I did it because I didn't want you to see anyone else. But that isn't why I am telling you this."

"Well then fill me in. Because I could have lived my life happily without knowing that particular fact. Now, why did you tell us?" She asked in a huff.

"Because I enjoyed doing it!" He cried out, throwing his hands up.

Three shocked faces recoiled at his words. "What do you mean you liked it?"

Natsu sat back down and dropped his head into his hands. "I mean exactly what it sounds like. I _enjoyed_ hurting him, knowing that the more I hurt him, the less he could see you. If I hurt him bad enough, he would leave you alone completely." Taking a slow breath, Natsu shook his head again. "I enjoyed hurting him, and that is why I had to tell you. It isn't the first time either, the first time I took enjoyment upon hurting someone that is…"

"You don't have to tell us anymore Natsu-san, we understand." Wendy said quietly. "I accept that everyone has a bad moment here and there and sometimes they take it out on the wrong people."

"No…" Natsu said weakly. "I have to tell you the rest before you can forgive me for it."

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**Remember, this is but the first of three parts of his history. It only goes downhill from here!**


	17. Natsu's Decision

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.**

**To remind everyone where the story will go, it is all up to you on what happens after Natsu tells his story. The poll on my page decides who he decides on. I know I said it before, but I will say it again, I would like for there to be at least 20 votes overall after the third chapter of his past is finished. That being said, it doesn't mean there has to be 20 votes for me to continue. I will still abide by what you all choose, but with it being under 20 votes overall, the story will change.**

**I also want to thank those of you that are always reviewing this story; I probably wouldn't be continuing any further if you didn't. Special thanks to Valimesh, ValinNight, Acetown, and treeofsakuras. You four review constantly, and for that I thank you!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Natsu's Decision**

_Two weeks had passed since Natsu had attacked Lucy's date. He knew it was wrong to lose control like that, and knew it wasn't his place any longer to keep men from her. He just had to get stronger in order to remove his mark from her. He had hoped it wouldn't have taken him this long, but after he had killed the man, Natsu didn't trust himself just yet. After attacking Lucy's date, he hadn't tried to use the black flames. _

_Natsu had to wait until the image of the bloody man was out of his head before he could muster the courage to go on. He needed another job to take his mind from the past events; he needed to do something good to make up for his sins. So he had aimlessly wandered from town to town, covering his Fairy Tail mark as he worked as a freelance mage. It had occurred to him more than once that he should return to the guild and have Makarov remove the symbol. Every time he thought about it, he shot it down. He couldn't go back to Magnolia until he was ready to face what he had left behind all those years ago. _

_It surprised him how few questions he was asked when he walked into random guilds and took the leftover jobs that they hadn't wanted. He never stayed in town for more than a couple of hours, long enough to get a job before he set off again. He preferred to live outside, to watch the stars while he waited for sleep to take him._

_Natsu snapped out of his thoughts when he realized he was standing in the grove that Igneel and he had spent most of their days together. He had finally made it here, finally made it to the place where he had lost his only family. It no longer saddened him that his father had left and that he hadn't been able to find him. He understood now that Igneel would show himself when he finished whatever he was doing._

_Besides, it wasn't like he was actually gone; he had saved Natsu's live against Sekena after all, awakening a power Natsu hadn't known he had within him. If his father trusted him enough to awaken this power, then all he would have to do was prove himself to his father. Standing at the edge of the cave, he called the flames to his hands. It felt good to use them, as good as it felt with his regular flames. He closed his eyes. '_This should be far enough from anyone. If I lose control, at least I won't hurt anyone._' He thought to himself. _

_Wrapping himself in flames, he dropped himself into a fighting stance. His eyes shot open and he threw himself forward, attacking as if someone was there. He focused on moves he already knew, trying them out with the new flames. Everything felt faster, even when he had been in his Dragon Force before, it never felt this fast. It was almost like his mind couldn't even keep up with what he was doing, barely keeping up with his actions. He knew from past fights exactly what he was doing, but other than that, it was all instinct. He smiled as a familiar warmth encircled him, not the warmth of the sun beating down on his back, nor even the flames covering his body. It was the warmth of his father watching over him. He knew he wasn't actually watching him, but from where he was standing, he couldn't help but think about the Dragon that had taken him in._

* * *

_Natsu spent the next four months training himself to use the black flames. He couldn't control them half as well as he could his regular flames, still unable to control how strong they came out at times. He was only getting faster, but he had reached his limit that he would be able to achieve on his own. He had to test his abilities in a real fight. He needed to find someone strong enough to fight, to really give him a challenge. _

_That thought alone had caused him to go to town again, finally ending his seclusion. He was excited, practically vibrating in anticipation. He needed a job, not just a fight. He needed to do this a right way, he couldn't chance attacking someone that didn't deserve his rage. Maybe he was strong enough now; maybe he was strong enough to take Lucy's mark from her. He smiled at the thought, hope brimming inside him again._

_Natsu stopped in a tavern and ordered himself a beer. It barely affected him because of his regenerative abilities, but it served as a good way to loosen the bartender's lips on rumors floating around town. This particular bartender had heard rumors of a dark guild starting up that were kidnapping women. Natsu smiled to himself at his luck. Not only could he test his abilities, but he could stop this dark guild from hurting anyone. Natsu dropped a large tip on the bar before heading out again. _

_He stopped at two other bars to try to drag out more information from the town, but they couldn't tell him anymore than the first bartender had. Blowing a small flame out of the corner of his mouth, Natsu shrugged the effects of the alcohol off. His slight buzz was wearing off quickly, his adrenaline pumping. Before he knew it, he was clenching and unclenching his fists, rolling his shoulders in anticipation. _

_The last known whereabouts of this guild was that they were hiding out in the nearby forest. It was the first place he headed after he had the information. Flames crept up his legs and propelled him forward, running faster into the forest. He slowed when he started to hear voices, knowing it wouldn't be good to burst in upon whoever was there unless he kept the element of surprise on his side._

_As silently as he could, Natsu made his way towards the grouping of people. Screams caused him to move faster, forgetting completely about keeping silent. _"Please, just let me go. I won't tell anyone." _It was a woman's voice that he heard and it chilled him to the bone. He heard the familiar sound of skin hitting skin and another scream. _"Shut up! Your father sold you to us. You belong to me now!" _The second voice was from a man._

_Natsu roared as he caught the scent of blood, his flames begging to be released. He crashed through the brush in renewed effort to get to the grouping of people. There were six women chained together with four men leading them. _

"Let them go!" _Natsu screamed, calling his orange flames of his fists. The women screamed louder, fearing what the Dragon Slayer would do. Three of the men spun on him, brandishing blades. The fourth man froze where he was standing. Natsu froze himself. _"You!" _Natsu jumped at the man, landing on top of him. It was the same man that he had burnt his hand from. _

"Don't hurt me! This is a misunderstanding I swear! I was trying to protect them!" _Natsu pushed away from the man, trying to calm his increasing anger. He cast a glare down at the man making the man shake where he sat, frozen in fear. _

_Natsu turned to the other three men and the six women. The women huddled together in fear, but the men all smiled. _"A mage would fetch a hefty price."_ A large round man said coolly. Natsu didn't wait for them to act on their threats and let flames wrap around his limbs before he attacked. Before he knew it he was standing over one of the mages, holding him in the air before throwing him against a tree. He held himself back better than he had expected, having thought he would have brought his black flames out. _

_Once the three men were taken care of, Natsu turned his gaze to the women, who in turn screamed loudly and tried to run. None of them could go very far seeing as the ropes and chains kept them together. Natsu's fire immediately extinguished and he held up his hands. _"I'm here to help; I don't want to hurt any of you." _He took a few slow steps towards them, still holding up his hands. _"Just tell me what happened and I'll see about getting you home."

_The women shook more as he got closer, but calmed slightly when he pressed a single finger to one of the ropes holding one of the women, burning them away cautiously. The woman sat there and collapsed into tears as he went to each of them slowly to burn away their bindings. After he had freed them all he took a slow step back. _"Is what this man said true?" _Natsu gestured to the water mage that still sat frozen._

"Quite the opposite." _One of them said quietly. She cast a glance over to the water mage and shuddered. Looking down at herself, she covered her body with her hands the best that she could. It was the first time Natsu took notice that all of the women were in torn and battered clothes. _

"Did… Did he rape you?" _Natsu asked quietly, averting his eyes from the women completely, trying to give them a little privacy. _

"Not him, but the others. He…" _One of the women stood up, walking towards Natsu slowly. _"He preferred to watch." _Natsu turned to the woman and took his jacket off and handed it to her. Black flames shot out of his fists when he turned to the mage, walking up to him angrily. _

_The woman followed him over to the water mage, standing next to him, seemingly unafraid of what was transpiring. _"It may have been an accident that I took your hand. But it gave you a second chance to try to do right. Give me one reason why I should let you go." _Natsu squatted down in front of him and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him up to look at him face to face._

"I swear I won't do it again. I'll turn myself in, I'll do my time. Just don't hurt me." _The man pleaded, pulling water into his hands as he tried to keep the fire from burning him. He looked up pleadingly into the Dragon Slayer's eyes, shaking his head. _"I won't do anything ever again. I swear on my life."

_Natsu let the man go and stepped away from him, looking back at the women. _"If you all come with me, I'll get you back home."

"You really aren't going to let him go are you?" _The woman that had been following him said heatedly. _"After he kidnapped us and let the others force themselves on us, you are going to let him go!" _She screamed at him, throwing her hands up. _"What's to say he won't do it again, or even to say that he won't follow us and attack once you're gone?"

_Natsu stopped and looked back at the man before turning to the woman. _"What do you expect me to do then? I can protect you long enough to get you back home and make sure you are safe." _Natsu said with a sigh, running his hands through his hair._

"Kill him." _The woman said bluntly. _"It won't do us any good to go back home if people like him are still out there to threaten us." _She looked over at the other five women, smiling at them. _"Do you have a girl back home that you want to protect more than anything? Would you let someone go if they hurt her?"

_Just the thought of someone hurting Lucy was enough to cause him to growl. He thought about the man on the ground forcing himself on his mate. _"I can't kill him, it isn't right." _He said finally, closing his eyes._

_More of the women were walking towards the first woman that had spoken up. _"What isn't right is the way these men treated us. What isn't right is that we didn't have any say in the matter." _Natsu looked between each of them in turn, meeting their eyes. He shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. _

"Then what is to stop him from doing it again?" _Natsu looked at the woman who had said it and sighed. He shook his head, was it really right, and was it really worth killing someone to prove to others that they couldn't do what they wanted. _"If he turns himself in, it will only be a couple of years before he is out again. He could hurt someone again, nothing says he won't."

_Natsu looked down at the man and shook his head. _"I guess an arm wasn't enough. I have to do what is right. If I had done something back then, maybe none of these women would have been hurt. Is your life worth others; is your life worth these six women's?" _Natsu flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked over to see a woman's features change, a sad smile crossing her lips. _

"What would you do if he had attacked Lucy? What if he went after her next?"_ Natsu shrugged her hand off his shoulder and shook his head. For a final time he turned to the water mage. Natsu had made up his mind and hearing Lucy's name spurred him into action. Grabbing the man by the throat he lifted him off the ground. _

"I hope whatever god you believe in has more forgiveness than I have left in me." _The man opened his mouth to respond but he couldn't say anything. Natsu's hand dug into the mage's throat, cutting off his oxygen supply and preventing him from speaking any further. In a roar, Natsu encased the mage in black flames and threw him into a tree. In the blink of an eye, Natsu gathered the other three and threw them at the water mage. His blood boiled at the thought of any of them harming another. Sucking in a deep breath, Natsu threw his arms out to the sides. _"**Roar of the Fire Dragon!**" _Black and orange flames circled in the air in front of Natsu's mouth before streaming across the distance to the men. _

_When the air settled around them, Natsu could only see the faint outlines of four charred bodies. He listened for a few moments, listening for a heartbeat or a sign of breathing from them. _"Thank you Natsu, I knew you would come for us."

_Natsu turned to the six women who stood huddled together and clenched his teeth. He couldn't believe he had missed that earthy scent before and shook his head. _"Why did you set all of this up Trinity? Was it just a part of your plan to get closer to me?"

_Trinity sighed and let her appearance fall, a bright light appearing in the center of the women. When it finally dissipated, Trinity stood in Natsu's jacket with the five women around her. They looked between the Dragon Slayers, unsure of what was transpiring. _"If you want to be stronger, you had to get rid of whatever held you back. If you couldn't kill someone, you wouldn't be able to meet your true potential."

_Natsu sighed and walked to the women, pushing Trinity out of the group roughly. _"You didn't have to put other women in danger just to prove a point to me. Did he really kidnap you, or was that just another part of your plan?!" _He was practically screaming at her now, his shoulders shaking._

_Trinity frowned and folded her arms. _"I never made him do anything. He had already nabbed these other women and I just gave him another target. I knew you would come when you found out there was a Dark Guild nearby. You always had a sense of honor to you; I just needed to show you that sometimes there is such a thing as a necessary sacrifice. Those four men were your sacrifice. I meant what I said, we never would have known what they would have done if they had gotten away."

_Natsu sighed and gave an apologetic look at the five women before gesturing for them to come with him. He waited until they started to move before walking with them, his shoulders slumped forward. _"Don't follow me Trinity. I can't be with you, you know that. Lucy is still my mate and until I give her back her… freedom, I can't even start to think about the future." _His voice was cold and he hurt inside, but he forced himself to remain calm while he walked the women back to town._

_He stayed only long enough to see that the women got home and to inform the mayor about what he had found, leaving out the fact that he had killed the men, simply stating that he had 'taken care of them'. He accepted a small reward even though there had been no actual job and left without another word. It was the first night in two years that he had spent in a town, renting a room so he could lock himself in and not have to worry about Trinity coming to find him. _

_Sitting on the edge of the bed he thought about what had happened that day, at what Trinity and the women had spoken about. About what he would do if Lucy was one of those women, about what he would do if any woman he knew had been one of them. _

_He knew he should have regretted taking it that far, should have regretted taking a live like he had the first time. He didn't though. He was happy at what he had done, what depressed him was that he had actually had to do it. The fact that there was even a need for him to kill them was too much for him to realize. He hated that it took him this long to see this side of people. He didn't want to kill them, but he knew it was necessary. Their life for countless others. _

* * *

**-Three Years Later-**

(A/N: Five years after his sudden departure from Fairy Tail)

_Natsu stood staring at the back of the woman in front of him, pulling his cloak tighter around his body and making sure the hood covered his hair. He hated escorting these rich types, but he had to pass time somehow. The woman in front of him stepped into her carriage and promptly shut the half door behind her, knowing Natsu wouldn't join her inside. How many times had he escorted this woman across Fiore, how many times was he even planning on doing it in the future. He let out a slow breath and started walking next to the wheel while keeping his eyes peeled for any forms of trouble. _

"Natsu?" _The Dragon Slayer looked up at the woman and raised an eyebrow. _"Why haven't you gone back yet?" _She asked quietly. Natsu shook his head and sighed, regretting telling the woman about his troubles. He hadn't expected her to care about her hired help's life, but after she had asked him on each trip they took, he had finally given in on the way to the town they were currently leaving._

_"_I don't know." _He responded while meeting her in the eye. How could he tell her that he was ashamed of what he had done, ashamed of hunting down any Dark Guild or kidnappers that he could catch wind of. Ashamed of killing them to keep them from hurting anyone else. _

"You said you would only go back to her when you were strong enough. I've seen you fight; you look like you are strong enough now, so why keep her waiting? Why keep your guilt buried away?" _She asked sweetly, smiling down at him. _

_Natsu chuckled and looked down the path, eyeing the driver of her carriage for a moment while they continued on. _"I'm not the same person I was when I left her. I have done a lot of things that others would see as terrible things. If she knew about them, she would hate me." _He shook his head again and closed his eyes, listening to the steady crunch the wheels gave when they rolled over the rocky road. _"If you knew half of what I did, you would turn me in to the magic council."

_Cecilia laughed heartily and leaned her head back to look up at the sky. _"Everyone deserves a second chance Natsu. Even you, no matter what you have done. Right now, this right here, you escorting me, trying to keep me safe. That alone proves that you are worth that second chance. You have protected me for the past month on these trips. Just your presence keeps thieves away."

_Natsu kept silent for a few moments, letting the sun beat down on him. _"Even if I killed people, would that still leave me with a second chance?"

_Cecilia frowned and looked down at him again. _"It all depends on who you killed, and why you did it in the first place. Did you kill them because your life was in danger, or was it because you enjoyed it?"

_Natsu couldn't believe how easily she was talking about it, at how easily she was talking about death. _"I didn't do it because I wanted to, but because it was necessary. Maybe you are right, maybe they did deserve a second chance, but when someone else's life is on the line, can you really take that chance?"

_Cecilia stared off into space, trying to think of what to say, but couldn't come up with an answer for him. He had admitted that he hadn't wanted to do it, but at the same time he hadn't said that he was forced into it. _"Is this why you won't go back to her?"_ She asked finally._

_Natsu nodded and let out a small chuckle. _"I guess I'm still weak, just in another area. I'm too afraid to face her, to tell her what I've done."

"Who did you kill?" _She asked bluntly, causing Natsu to jump slightly._

"Only those that I thought weren't worthy of that second chance. Dark Guilds and slavers, the people that took others' lives to better their own." _He admitted finally._

_Cecilia closed her eyes and shook her head. _"I can't say that I agree with your decision, Natsu. I won't judge you though; you have proven yourself a good person to me. Your past is for you to decide whether or not it was well planned or not."

"I don't regret it, as much as I want to, I don't. I only regret that one day I will have to tell her what I did." _He shook his head and pushed his hood from his head, wiping off the sweat that had built up. _

_Cecilia spun her head down to him for a final time. _"Why didn't you kill any of the thieves that attacked us when you were escorting me, then?"

_Natsu laughed and drew a flame to his hand. _"Because it wasn't necessary. If I killed every person that threatened someone, there wouldn't be anyone left alive. They steal and plunder, they don't kill. They don't murder those who disobey them, or send them into slavery. Trust me on this, if it is the only thing you believe. If I had thought they were going to kill you or someone else, I wouldn't have stopped at just scaring them away. Some people do deserve second chances, but those there are others that I won't give a second chance." _Cecilia nodded at his comment, seeing the passion he held for the situation. _"The only thing that could stop me from dishing out my own form of justice is a thousand of miles away from here. If she told me to stop, I would. Maybe that's why I can't go back, maybe I don't want her to tell me to stop."

"What about your parents? Would you stop if they asked?"

_Natsu frowned for a moment and shook his head. _"Wouldn't do any good. I don't have any parents. My father left over twelve years ago, and I don't think he would want to stop me anyways." _Natsu thought about what Igneel would say about him killing. Would he think he was protecting the weak, or was he attacking the strong to prevent them from even trying? _"Either way, this should be my last job with you Cecilia. I told you about the Dragon chasing me. I've been around too long and her daughter is bound to lead her to me one way or another. I have to keep moving."

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**Just one more chapter left of Natsu's past!**


	18. Natsu's Return

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**Alright everyone, we are at 15 votes. Even though it is obvious who won, I won't be writing the next chapter until we reach 20 votes. Or, just in case we never reach it, I will give it until the 24****th**** of February. If we don't have them then, then I will write it anyways, but it will be different than I had originally planned. Will it be a good change, or a bad change? We may never know.**

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Darkness Within**

_Natsu stood still while leaning against the wheel of the carriage, waiting for the driver to put up the thin cover. Though the sun was still high in the air, the light was starting to dissipate. _"Will you even be useful in the rain, Sir Salamander?" _Cecilia asked with a teasing smile._

_Natsu grunted and peeled his upper lip from his teeth in a slight snarl. _"I hate it when you call me that, but you do have a point. I'm pretty useless when it comes to water. Water is my natural weakness after all." _He said quietly. He watched the driver flinch in his work at Natsu's comment, causing the Dragon Slayer to smirk. _

"Quit teasing the poor man, Natsu." _Cecilia reprimanded, hiding her smile behind her hand while trying to look menacing. Natsu waved his hand absently and went back to surveying the surrounding area. He could smell the people hiding in the woods, but they were doing a good job of masking their presence other than that. Maybe they knew who he was, or maybe it was that they were just waiting until it rained, hoping his claim was true. _"Natsu, you really come up here though. You'll catch a cold if you don't."

"I don't get colds." _Natsu said absently, tugging his cloak tighter around his shoulders. _"You know about my motion sickness. I would be less than useless if I joined you, so at least from here I can warn you to run."

_Natsu heard the driver let out a small claim of victory and felt the carriage move behind him as it restarted their trek towards her castle. Almost as soon as they started off, Natsu felt the soft drops of rain pitter patter over his shoulders. It didn't take but a few seconds before the sprinkling of rain turned into a shower._

_A slight rustling to the side of the trail ahead caught Natsu's eyes and he smiled. _"I want you to keep your eyes closed this time Cecilia. Just trust me and they won't hurt you." _He spoke softly, not expecting an answer from the girl. _

"Are you going to kill them?" _She asked bluntly, slightly surprised by him telling her to keep her eyes closed. In all the times they had been attacked, he had never killed anyone, but then again he had never told her not to watch as he took care of the problem._

_Natsu shook his head, not looking her in the eye. _"Do as I say." _His voice was cold and she knew that he was distancing himself from the situation, suppressing his emotions so he could control himself. She waited a moment before complying, closing her eyes. _"Please don't hurt them more than you have to." _She said quietly._

_Natsu grunted and waited for the attack. In an instant, everything happened. Figures jumped from the bushes to their left while others jumped out of the trees to their right. The driver knew better by now than to slow down for thieves, especially with Natsu there. He only gripped the reigns tighter and kept his eyes straight head. He flinched when one of the men jumped in front of the team of horses. _

_Natsu jumped in front of the man and hit him in the side of the head with a clenched fist. Natsu didn't stop though, grabbing the thief's foot before he flew too far and slamming him into the ground. Natsu spun as he saw a glint of metal flying through the air and finally called his flames to him. He caught the throwing knife out of the air before it got within arm's reach of the carriage. Before anyone else could attack, Natsu disappeared from sight. _

_The thieves froze in their attack, eyes darting around to find the Dragon Slayer. One by one he appeared near one of them to deliver a bone crushing blow, incapacitating them where they stood. They could only cry out for a moment before another flaming fist caught them in the side of the head, killing them on the spot. The unlucky ones to survive screamed harder as Natsu's flames ate away at their skin. The attack lasted only moments, but Natsu was breathing hard, a grim smile on his lips._

_Natsu let his flames die out before he walked back up to the carriage, taking his place beside it like nothing had happened. _"It's over; you can open your eyes." _He said matter-of-factually. He looked over to see Cecilia frown at him before shaking her head. _"What?" _He asked coldly._

"I'll never understand what triggers you to kill and what doesn't." _Cecilia said with a sigh. She didn't blame him for what he did, he had saved her life yet again so she couldn't be mad at that. _

"You're asking yourself if your life is worth eight of theirs aren't you?" _He asked, clearly meaning it as a statement by the way he said it. _"You are worth a hundred of those guys. Anyone that preys on others to survive gets what is coming to them."

_Cecilia couldn't help but to smile at his ironic words. _"Does that mean you aren't worth much, taking the lives of others to survive?"

_Natsu smiled to himself. _"I don't do it to survive; I do it because no one else will. If I lose my mate because of it, I would regret it. Not because of what I did, but that I wasn't enough to make her see why I did it."

_Cecilia sighed and waved her hand dismissively. _"She would be a fool to think you a monster; I hope you can convince her otherwise Natsu." _Natsu laughed at her openly. _

_The rest of the trip was uneventful. Standing outside of her walls, Cecilia beckoned Natsu to follow her inside. _"Just until you get dry, then I'll give you your reward and you can be on your way."

_Natsu shook his head. _"I'll just get wet when I leave again; just send my reward to the usual place." _He pulled out a little book from his jacket pocket and wrote down a number in it._

"How do you know if I even sent the past amounts? What says I'll send this one?" _She asked teasingly._

_Natsu smiled and gave her a small wink. _"If I have to come back here, it won't be as a friend Cecilia." _He kept his voice light, but his eyes spoke otherwise. _"Anyways! I'm off, don't go getting yourself into trouble while I'm away." _He turned and cast a wave over his shoulder as he left._

* * *

**-Six Months Later-**

_The Fire Dragon Slayer leaned in the chair he was sitting on, once again spending his time at a tavern. This town in particular had an interesting rumor about a vigilante magic user that had been taking out Dark Guilds. He couldn't help but smile upon hearing rumors of his own handy work. _"The magic council is looking for whoever is doing this." _The bartender continued. _"They plan on making an example of him, showing other vigilantes that they can't go around killing mages."

_Natsu shook his head. _"He has been on the loose for a couple of years now, what makes you think they will even catch him?"

"Rumor is that it's that Salamander fellow. He has been missing for something like five years now. If you ask me, he died and Fairy Tail doesn't want to ruin their reputation so they aren't telling anyone." _The bartender continued._

"You're an idiot." _Natsu said bluntly, glaring and frowning at the man at the same time. _"Why would you say I'm dead, I'm sitting right in front of you."

_The bartender flinched at that and looked him over again, then a third time. He shook his head and laughed. _"Nice try bub, but the real Salamander isn't a child playing mage."

_Natsu grabbed the glass from the countertop and heated up his hand, burning up the glass until it shattered from the heat. _"I told you, I'm not dead. I just had some things I had to figure out before I went back home." _Standing up, Natsu dropped a generous amount of Jewel on the counter. _"Maybe it is time I went back, you can't always run away from your past. Do me a favor, find whoever you heard the rumor from that the magic council is looking for me and have them tell their hunter that I'm going home."

"Natsuuuuuuu." _Cooed a voice from behind him, twin arms wrapping around his shoulders so she could lean against his back. Trinity giggled and nuzzled against him. _"I'm glad you didn't stop me from following you, I'm glad you are going to go home and get rid of her. We can finally be together."

_Natsu sighed and shrugged the woman off of him. _"I am not going to discuss this with you Trinity. I don't care how many times you 'claim' me. I don't care that you want me; you need to leave this alone. There are few Dragon Slayers out there as it is, let alone female Dragon Slayers. You have a better chance simply because you have helped me. If you don't leave me alone to do this, I will make sure I find another." _He knew his voice was cold, and he didn't want to hurt her, but he needed to stand his ground against this woman. If he didn't she would only push him further in the wrong direction. But if he pushed too far, he knew she would try to hurt Lucy. _

_Natsu sighed and pushed past her. _"Just give me a little time before you come for me. You will know when the time comes. Until then, steer clear of me. It will keep Sekena away."

"Anything for you Natsu. I would kill my own mother for you if you wished it." _Natsu sighed and kept walking. She had grown too attached to the idea of a mate. It wasn't the same as what he felt for Lucy, she was obsessed with him. He was willing to kill for Lucy, willing to kill to keep her safe, but he couldn't kill Igneel to save her. He didn't know what he would do in that situation; maybe he would just take her and run, maybe… He stopped himself from going any further with the thought. It didn't matter, Igneel would never do something like that, and neither would he._

* * *

**-Current Date-**

Natsu dropped his gaze to the ground in front of him and shook his head. It had taken him longer than he had hoped to tell them his story, to tell them what he had been up to while he was gone. Trinity's quite giggles about their time together echoed through the eerie silence. Natsu closed his eyes for a moment then looked up at Trinity, giving her a small glare to cut off her giggles. The girl bit her lower lip, but her smile kept the edges of her lips turned up. She wasn't afraid of him, that much he knew. The look she was giving him told him that she would have willingly joined him in his excursions if he had let her.

The women on either side of him each took up one of his hands and interlaced their fingers together. They never said that they understood, or even forgave him for what he did, their gesture simply showing him that they were with him now and that was all that mattered. A wave of love and affection flowed through him, bypassing his desire for claiming his new mate. It didn't last nearly long enough and before he knew it he could feel that desire creeping back up. He looked over at Wendy finally, catching her eyes. It took everything he had not to bare his teeth and growl at what he saw.

Her eyes were filled with tears, her face contorted in confusion. "Do you regret what you did?" She asked trying to sound confident. Natsu shook his head, not trusting himself to answer for a moment. "Do you regret any of it?" She asked again, clearly expecting more than a gesture.

"There are plenty of things that I regret over the past six years, I regret leaving in the first place even. But no, I don't regret killing any of them. Maybe at first, when I first took a life, maybe then, but now I don't regret even that." He whispered, fearing her answer. Anger contorted her face, breaking through the confusion. She stood up and walked up to him and grabbed a fistful of his hair to force his head back so he would have to look up at her. Natsu calmly held Mirajane and Lucy back by gripping their hands while he met Wendy's gaze, letting her manhandle him.

"Why did you even tell me any of this? What good would it do to tell me you killed someone only to ask me to _mate _with you?" Her voice coiled around the word as if it was a venomous object. "Why even ask me when you have another Dragon Slayer lined up to take her place by your side?"

"Because she isn't you Wendy." Natsu said slowly, tasting the words on his tongue. "You had to know before you could decide on what you wanted, if you even wanted to go down this path with me. With us."

Wendy was taken aback at his blunt statement, blushing a light shade of pink. "What do you mean she isn't me?"

"How long have I known you Wendy? How many times have we gone on missions, how many times have I saved you? How many times have you saved me?"

"What does it matter? You are obviously close to her and she is willing to join you and your other lovers. If you want me to decide, then tell me… Do you love me?"

Natsu stared into her eyes, debating whether he should lie to her or if he should trust she would make up her mind if she knew the truth. "No." He said finally. "Not like I loved Mirajane or Lucy before I left. But I told you before, I don't always have a choice in who I choose, but I can influence that desire. I don't want another lover, just someone who will share my bed. I want someone I can really care about, that's why I ran away from you earlier. I thought I could put some distance between us so you could think about what you are going through before I tried to put you through this."

"Why would I mate with someone I don't love?" Wendy asked, clearly hurt by him confessing he didn't love her. "Why would I, when I can find someone who will truly love me for who I am?"

"I never said I didn't love you Wendy. I said I didn't love you like Mirajane or Lucy before I had left. How could I? You were always with Romeo and you were a girl then, I wasn't going to even think about that as a possibility. You aren't a girl any longer, you are a woman whether you think you are or not." He said, surprising the four women around him. "Tell me, how long have you been looking for your mate?" He asked bluntly.

Wendy let his hair go and stepped back. "Since I was fourteen." She admitted.

Natsu smiled weakly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you then, I know how hard it is when you first get that desire to find the one you love."

"I only wanted to find the one that was right for me, but I was afraid it would change me."

"How do you think I feel knowing I can't devote everything to one woman. I don't regret being in the situation I am because I can never give Lucy or Mirajane…" He said quietly bringing the women's hands up to give them a small kiss before squeezing them to show them that he appreciated them. "… Because I can never give them what they deserve. I will do everything I can to make up for that."

Wendy looked at the three in front of her then back at Trinity, who stood quietly fidgeting with her bracelet on her left wrist. She watched the woman that had convinced Natsu that it was alright to kill if you had a reason, then it dawned on her and she spun on him. "Whether or not you can make it up to them is up to them, not you. They already said they don't see it that way, that you give them everything you have to them and request nothing in return. I know you would treat me right… But why do you have to kill people? You didn't kill Sidney and you even said his power would only bring more harm."

Natsu smiled sadly. "I didn't kill him because you asked me not to. That doesn't mean I didn't make sure he couldn't do what he did to me to someone else."

"What do you mean by that? At most, he will spend his life in prison. He could escape, as you said before. What makes you think he wouldn't do it again?"

"Because I broke his mind." Natsu said flatly. "After he took his blood magic from me, I could have shown him mercy and killed him. You didn't want him to die, so I made him fear his own power. Even if he gets out, he will think of me before he uses his magic. He will think of how close to killing him I was and how much pain he was in."

Wendy shook her head. "And how is that worse than killing him?"

Natsu took his hands from his mates and stood up in front of Wendy and reached out to grab her shoulders. "Picture going to use your magic to heal someone and feeling someone standing over you, waiting for you to mess up. Picture making the slightest mistake, or moving too slow only to have that person over you break your bones." Letting her go, he looked over at Trinity. "Think of it this way. You love your mother because she trained and loved you. Now replace that love with fear and pain. Think about her standing behind you waiting for you to mess up."

Wendy wrapped her arms around herself. "You aren't helping me think any better of you Natsu. Why do you want me to think of you as a monster? I could have done without knowing you killed someone."

"Would you rather me lie to you? What next, would you rather I didn't tell you that I was going to mate with multiple people then suddenly show up on your door and try to force you into this? I care about you all too much to lie to you any longer."

"Will you stop killing if we ask you to?" Wendy asked, gesturing to Mirajane and Lucy.

Natsu nodded sadly. "There are few people that could make me stop, you three are among those few. I would stop killing those that deserved death, but I wouldn't stop from breaking them. I've seen too much, seen what people are willing to do just because they think they are better than others. I've seen mages use other people's lives simply because they wanted something."

"I wouldn't ask you to stop." Trinity said, finally speaking up. "Before Sekena found me, I was one of those women that were used. I was a slave. I wouldn't force you to stop because I know how evil people can be."

Natsu looked over at her. "I know you wouldn't ask me to. That's why I told you I would only mate with you if Wendy told me to take a hike. You aren't afraid of killing someone, but you aren't afraid of killing an innocent either to get what you want."

Wendy spun on Natsu. "Then why don't you kill her? If you know she would use innocent lives to get what she wanted, then why is she still around? Doesn't she fall into that category you were talking about?"

"Because I killed her mother." He said harshly. "Because of me, Sekena will never have a physical body again; she can never pass her magic onto another. Dragon Slayers are rare enough as it is, I can't bring myself to kill her if I know I can stop her from killing."

"Then choose her." Wendy said bluntly, turning her back on him. Natsu touched her shoulder gently and turned her around, letting her see the desire he had for her. An audible gasp left her lips and she thought she could see his inner Dragon behind him again. "That isn't fair Natsu, trying to draw me in like that."

Natsu leaned down closer to her, leaving a short distance between their lips while he growled. "I would rather someone that I know I could eventually love, even without the power of our marks forcing us. Without the marks I could love you, but with them, I could get you to love me."

Wendy stared into his eyes and tried to pull herself away, but her legs wouldn't move. "How many more women do you still have to take?"

Natsu smiled, knowing her barrier was wearing thin. "That depends on Lucy, Mirajane… and you. I was bound to take more than one, bound to take at least a Dragon Slayer and another. Taking my mark from Lucy originally gave me an opportunity to choose a new mate. Mirajane took that need, but I still had Lucy in me so when she gave herself back to me I knew I would still need a Dragon Slayer. I want to say that I only need you, but I can't say that just yet. If I don't get my son soon, I may need more mates. Until that day, I won't know when I have to take another. Now tell me, can you deal with being with Lucy and Mirajane and me for the rest of your life? You wouldn't be my only one, but you wouldn't just be another one. I can promise you that I can give you everything I have."

Wendy closed her eyes and saw Romeo kissing the other girl and felt the pain she had felt in that moment. "I don't know if I can be another woman to you Natsu. I don't know if I want to see you with others. What would Trinity do if you chose me over her? Would it be worth it to choose me only to let her hurt someone because she was mad?" She shook her head and kept her eyes closed, not wanting to accept that her finding her mate could end up hurting someone else.

Trinity laughed aloud. "If you were going to accept his offer, you would have done so already. I love Natsu because I know he can protect me from anything. But if he somehow convinces you, I'll just take him from you. He already said he wouldn't kill me, so it wouldn't matter how long it took me to get him, I would get him in the end."

Natsu brought a hand up to Wendy's cheek and gently stroked her with his thumb. "Whether you choose me has nothing to do with her. Besides, if I you were both after me, I would choose you. I may need a Dragon Slayer, but I still want you Wendy." He whispered.

Wendy listened closely as Mirajane and Lucy walked over to them. "Don't think of it as sharing Natsu with others. Because that isn't how I see it at all." Mirajane said with a smile. "I didn't just get Natsu when I mated with him. I've never been closer to Lucy and I don't know what I would do without her. I think I speak for both Lucy and I when I say we would rather someone like you in this, but we will stand behind whatever you two choose. We see how much Natsu cares for you. You aren't another woman to any of us. You will always be Wendy to us; you will always be something special."

Wendy finally opened her eyes and looked into Natsu's eyes again and shuddered before finally getting her strength back and forcing herself to take a step back from him. "Can I have a moment to think about this?" She asked quietly.

Natsu nodded and pulled his hand away from her cheek. "You can, but if you leave… You won't have a chance to come back. It hurts already to hold myself back, just know that if you leave without telling me your answer, I will have to take it as a no Wendy. Please be sure you are sure about what you want before you decide. I don't want you to regret it later." Wendy closed her eyes and nodded to think about everything.

Was it really worth it to be one of the ones that he loved, to share him with at least two others? Most of all, could she deal with the fact that he had killed so many people, could she deal with eh fact that he wouldn't stop killing? Would it be worth hurting someone just so she could feel happy? Wendy didn't know Trinity, but wouldn't have wanted someone to take away her love if she had a choice in the matter. Did she love Natsu? Or did she just want someone to care for her? She loved the way he looked at her, as if she was actually needed.

"Let me see if I can help you decide." Natsu's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she opened her eyes to look at him curiously. She didn't have even a moment to question him before he pressed his lips to hers. Her widened in surprise.

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**I left it like this to let her decide whether to kiss him back and accept him, or to get angry at his sudden actions. It's up to you all what happens!**


	19. Dragon Slayer Union

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**Alright, you have all spoken on what you want, so it shall be so. Thank you all for voting, I hope you will not be disappointed with how everything happens!**

** After this chapter is up and posted, I will continue with Don't Leave Me once again. **

**I know there are better ways for me to write these chapters, so if you see something SPEAK UP! I won't be able to get better if no one points out what could be better. **

* * *

**Chapter 18: Dragon Slayer Union**

Wendy stood motionless at the thought of Natsu kissing her. Slowly piecing together that it was actually happening, she didn't know if she should return his kiss or not. It had been hard enough picturing herself falling for the Dragon Slayer just a moment ago, but the heat that radiated from his body was intoxicating. His lips were uncomfortably hot, but she couldn't get herself to pull back from him. She could feel his desire and how hard he fought to hold it back. Wendy felt him shudder as another wave rolled over them and she stiffened.

As if he felt her apprehension towards him, Natsu took a step back from her. Cold air assaulted her lips, replacing his warmth. The kiss had barely touched her barriers she had placed up against him, his desire brushing up against her, merely showing itself to her instead of forcing it onto her. If he had pressed her right then, she knew she would have given over to him.

Instead he had pulled away, telling her that it was up to her. That he wasn't going to force this on her despite how much he wanted it. When he had pulled away, everything had fallen. Her resistance collapsed into need. As suddenly as he had left she grabbed the front of his vest and crossed the void to press her lips firmly to his. She didn't want the gentle touching of lips that she had received earlier; she needed something more carnal, something deeper. As soon as their lips touched again, Natsu pulled her into his arms and leaned into the kiss.

Wendy shivered against him and closed her eyes. She hadn't been drawn into a kiss like this, their bodies molding together comfortably. She didn't know how long the kiss had lasted, knowing only that she had to pull back for air. His eyes drew her in, his usual black eyes now completely black with red slits in the center. A low growl from off to the side forced Wendy's eyes from Natsu's.

Trinity practically glowed in how much power she was drawing in. "You swore that you would give yourself to me Natsu." She said in a deep growl. She shook in anger. "I don't see how you can expect to just get away with this. I will have you."

Mirajane reacted before any of the others could by stepping between Trinity and the others. "Don't do this Trinity. You need to back away to get away from us. You can't win."

Trinity smiled. "Is that a challenge? Maybe I should show you what happens when you try to take a Dragon Slayer's mate away." She fell into a fighting stance, slamming her fists together to turn her forearms into stone.

Mirajane smiled herself and clenched her fists. "I don't want to fight you Trinity, but I won't let you hurt _my_ mate. **Take over: Dragon Soul**." Instead of the usual bright light that surrounded her, Mirajane's limbs slowly transformed. Her forearms darkened to earthy brown scales, her fingers and nails lengthened and morphed into claws. Black leathery wings snapped out of her back but she kept them tight against her back. Mirajane's tight black boots frayed at the sides as her muscles enlarged. Her smile turned into a snarl and her canines lengthened slightly, sharpening at their points.

Trinity's eyes widened in surprise, having not known what had become of the Earth Dragon Sekena, her mother. She smiled darkly, growling. "Not only can I get rid of you, I can ensure the Natsu will be protected from Sekena even more. I can ensure his safety, can you?"

Mirajane let out a slow calming breath. "I think me taking Sekena into me is more than enough. I don't have to protect him from anything, we work together to protect each other. We fight together, not separately." She jumped slightly when Natsu touched her shoulder. She could feel his flames lick over her body as he stepped up beside her on her left.

She felt Lucy's touch on her other shoulder as she stepped up as well, tightly wrapping her free hand around her keys, ready to call upon her spirits. Wind started to pick up around the three as Wendy stepped up to the other side of Natsu, the four standing together. "You talk about taking a Dragon Slayer's mate away, yet you stand against three **chosen** mates. If you think you can take him away from us, try it. Natsu may not want to hurt you because of what you are, but I personally don't have such issues with it." Wendy growled back at her, her hair whipping around her shoulders.

The four stood waiting for Trinity to move, waiting for her to decide on what she would do. She shook uncontrollably, drawing everything around her. She screamed and threw herself forward, launching herself at Natsu. The four of them moved as one to deflect Trinity's attack. Wendy and Lucy sidestepped while Natsu and Mirajane caught the woman out of the air. Mirajane grabbed her shirt while Natsu snatched her by the throat. Wendy and Lucy stepped back in and grabbed her arms to prevent her from flailing at them.

"Trinity, you need to leave. I don't want to have to hurt you, but I will do whatever I have to. I will protect _my_ mates. You are not my mate. I have chosen my path. If you truly want someone to protect you, then join Fairy Tail. We are more than a guild, we are a family. If you only need protection, then we can guarantee it. I will not mate with you Trinity. For that I am sorry." He said sternly. "I will show you that you need more than protection."

"I don't want to join your guild; I don't want to join your family. Why am I not good enough for you Natsu?" Trinity asked, struggling against the four holding her.

"Because you would break what little sanity I have left. " He responded coldly. "I do not want to regret what happens here Trinity. Don't make me hurt you any further. Do not mistake your chasing me for my acceptance of you. I accept you as a person, but not as a mate." He let his flames die out and dropped her to the ground at the same time the others let her go. "Leave Trinity. You are a friend, but nothing more. We cannot be more."

Tears threatened to fall down Trinity's cheeks as she looked up into his eyes. "I won't give up on you Natsu. I will show you that you need me, I will be back." She left at that, slamming the door behind her to leave the four alone.

Natsu stared at the door for a moment before running his hands through his hair. He drew in a deep breath as the women still in the house converged on him. Wendy immediately pulled him down into another kiss, but Lucy ripped him away from her before pushing him into a nearby wall before folding her arms across her chest. "Plenty of time for that later. Now that you have made your choices, you need to answer my questions."

Mirajane stepped up beside Lucy as Wendy blushed at how forward she had been. She brought her hand up to her lips to feel the residual heat of his lips. She smiled at it, but stood her ground to watch Natsu cower slightly in front of his other mates.

"I know what this is about, and I know I messed up." He said with a sigh.

Lucy stepped up to him and grabbed his vest tightly in one hand. "Why is this the first we are hearing of it? I don't care what you did, but I expect you to never hide anything from us ever again."

Natsu grabbed her hand in his and pulled her fingers one by one from his vest. "I regret what I did, not because it was wrong of me, but because it took me so long to realize what I needed to do. I didn't want to bring you into this unless I had to. With Trinity here, I couldn't stand back with it any longer. I don't want to lie to you."

Mirajane sighed and stepped closer, adding her hand to Lucy's. "I don't want you to fight alone Natsu. There is a reason your fire can't hurt us. We can fight together."

Natsu laughed lightly and kissed their hands. "I never planned to leave you behind in the first place. I'm just glad you didn't happen to catch me in the act. Now…" He said slyly. "If you two don't mind… I don't think I can stand back much longer. I _need_ to claim Wendy."

Mirajane brought a small smile to her lips before leaning in to kiss Natsu's neck. "I hope you don't plan on leaving me out this time." She said seductively, whispering against his skin. "I think you have left me waiting long enough."

Natsu smiled and wrapped his arm around the demon's waist before kissing just below her ear. "I love you Mira. If you help me make Wendy feel welcome with us…" He whispered to her before sliding his thumb along the waistband of her skirt. "I'll see what I can do to pay you back."

Mirajane moaned and leaned into her mate. "You better make sure you show me what I mean to you." Grabbing a fistful of his hair she pulled his lips down onto hers, but pulled away before he could respond to it. She bit her lower lip and let him go. "Come join us upstairs before things get too heated." Mirajane said grabbing Lucy's hand to pull her along with her.

Natsu watched the two women head down the long hall and chuckled to himself. "I am too blessed." He said to himself, turning to see Wendy watching him. As soon as their eyes met she blushed and fiddled with the hem of her dress, but she didn't look away this time. Natsu couldn't wait any longer. Stepping up to her, he cupped her cheek and tilted her head back to gently claim her lips.

Wendy smiled as she kissed her soon to be mate back, letting their simple kiss deepen slowly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved with him until she felt her back press against a cool wall. She couldn't stop the moan that slipped between her lips at the difference between Natsu's warmth and the cool wall. "I'm sorry we couldn't let things develop between us slowly." He said after finally pulling back for a much needed breath.

Wendy slipped her fingers into his hair and massaged his scalp with her fingers. "It isn't quite the perfect situation… But I know you will do whatever you can." She said with a shake of her head.

Natsu pulled his arm from around her waist and pressed it over her chest, causing her to blush brightly at how close his hand was to her breasts. "Right now you may not love the situation, but I promise you that you will never regret this. We aren't alone in this; Mirajane and Lucy are going to help us through everything." Taking his time, Natsu brought his lips down to hers again. "Tonight is about you though. Tonight is about our union."

Wendy giggled at his words, knowing it was everything that she could have asked for from him. "Do you promise to stay with me?" She asked against his lips.

Natsu nodded into her, smiling brightly. "Until the day I die Wendy." Reaching down, Natsu put his hands on her hips to hold her against him. He took things slowly, asking permission to kiss her deeper as his tongue ran along her bottom lip. Wendy shuddered against him and gave him his opening by parting her lips to meet his tongue.

The two stood in place, growing acclimated to the growing pleasure between them. She squeaked in surprise when his hands slid down her sides to her legs, picking her up. Instinctively Wendy wrapped her legs around him and let her hands move down to his chest, unbuttoning his vest and pushing it off his shoulders. Wendy bent her head down to press against his shoulder at the feeling of his lips on her neck.

He kissed softly, leaving a trail of fire wherever his lips touched. She sucked in a deep pleasure induced breath as he nipped at her silky skin. "Stop teasing me Natsu. I need you… I need your mark on me." Natsu growled in response, dragging his teeth along her. Grabbing her ass he squeezed it gently before recapturing her lips and leading them along the hall to the room that Mirajane and Lucy awaited them.

Wendy pulled back from the kiss as she felt them enter his room, feeling the atmosphere change. She turned her head to see Mirajane and Lucy lying on the bed together, their limbs tangled together. She blushed as Natsu chuckled at the sight, feeling his erection growing against her. "I thought you said not to let us get too carried away and here you are starting without us." He said finally crossing the room to lay Wendy down with the two women.

Mirajane rolled off of Lucy and grabbed Natsu's scarf around his waist and pulled him onto the bed with them. "We saved the best part just for you. I want you to finish undressing us. All of us." She said pressing her lips to his chest while her hands started to untie the scarf from his waist.

Wendy crawled forward on her knees and stopped Mirajane's hands. "Please… Let me." She whispered breathily as she replaced Mirajane's hands with her own. Mirajane only smiled at how assertive the younger girl was despite it being her first time. Busying herself, Mirajane slid up the bed to capture Natsu's lips as her own and kissing him with the pent up desire she had for him.

Natsu groaned into the kiss, knowing he had to work harder if he wanted to repay the three women. Snaking a hand around Mirajane's back, he unhooked her bra and pulled it off of her thin frame. Breaking off the kiss, Natsu sat up to meet Lucy's lips while Mirajane moved her attention to Wendy. Wendy pulled away from her hesitantly, narrowly escaping the demon's lips. "I'm sorry Mira… I'm not into… well you know…" Wendy said weakly.

Mirajane leaned forward and kissed Wendy on the cheek. "I told you before. You didn't just get Natsu in this, you get Lucy and I as well." Mirajane said reminding her of the commitment that they were entering together. "Maybe after you get your mark from Natsu, maybe then you will see how deep our relationship runs."

"Carla is going to kill me when she finds out about this." Natsu said pulling Wendy onto his lap and away from Mirajane, who returned her affections to Lucy to wait for Natsu to give his attention to Wendy once again. Wendy blushed as he pulled her dress from over her head to reveal her breasts to him and her arms moved up to hide herself from his view. "Wendy…" He said kissing her neck. "Don't hide yourself."

Wendy closed her eyes and let her arms drop to her sides, revealing herself to him. "I know they aren't quite… as large as Mira's or Lucy's…" She said weakly. Natsu tilted her head back with a single finger while he brought a hand up to her right breast. She bit her lower lip and arched her back to press into his hand even more. "Why are you comparing yourself to them? You are nothing like them." His voice was low, but calm. "You three are nothing alike, and I would never change any of you. You are each your own person. Each of you has your own qualities that make you who you are. I don't want three of the same woman. I have who I want with me right now."

Wendy grabbed Natsu by the back of his neck and brought her lips down upon his at his comment about his mates. Trailing her hands over his shoulders and down his chest over his muscles. Her fingers shook nervously at the top of his pants. Steadying herself she pulled herself off of him and drew his pants down, finding herself staring at his erection. Another blush dusted over her cheeks. "I've never… I mean to say…" She said, fumbling with her words to try and tell him that she had never done anything like this before, let alone this being the first time seeing a man naked. Sure Gray had always stripped down in the guild, but Carla or someone had always been there to cover her eyes before she saw anything.

Natsu sat up and slowly pushed her down onto her back on the bed. "We will take this nice and slow. We won't hurry this." Natsu smiled and kissed the Dragon Slayer gently before moving his lips down her soft skin, learning the details of her skin with his lips. Wendy's soft moans spurred him on, arching her back as he licked over her perky nipple. Wendy's breath caught in her throat as she felt two more pairs of lips on her body. She fisted her hands into the sheets and let her issues about being intimate with women.

The ripping of cloth brought her head up and she saw Natsu throwing the remains of her panties behind him, his eyes drinking in the sight of her fully naked body. She blushed and closed her eyes to keep her mind straight, drawing in slow shaky breaths.

Natsu smiled and continued to kiss down Wendy's leg, letting his hands massage the insides of her thighs, inching closer to that desired area. "Natsu…" She whispered, gaining his attention. "Am I… am I pleasing to look at?" She asked hesitantly.

Natsu looked up at her and pressed his lips to her core, watching her eyes roll back in her head. He devoted himself to pleasing her, licking over her bundle of nerves, causing her to buck against him. "Natsu… please… don't tease me… I can't take it." She said with a deep rolling moan.

Natsu moved his way up and captured her lips again. "You are beautiful Wendy. I don't want you to ever doubt that." He said leaning up on his hands and knees over her. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Wendy shook her head. "No, I'm afraid it'll hurt." She said weakly. "But I trust you. I want this."

As slowly as possible, Natsu positioned himself at her entrance and stared into her eyes. She nodded to him and found her hands being taken up by the other two women that she had almost forgot were there. She closed her eyes and let her mouth fall open as he pressed forward unbearably slow. "You're too big Natsu, be gentle." She said breathily.

Natsu stopped as he felt the thin membrane of her virginity. "Just do it." She said staring into his eyes. He nodded slowly and thrust his hips forward, burying himself deep within her as she cried out. She whimpered quietly as the three comforted her, letting her get used to the feeling of Natsu's length inside of her.

Natsu waited until the woman below him calmed down and her breathing evened out before he moved his hips experimentally. Wendy gasped and threw her arms around Natsu's shoulders. She shuddered and moaned in pleasure as Natsu moved in and out of her slowly at first. Mirajane and Lucy sat together in rapt attention as they watched the two slowly make love.

"Wendy, you're so tight… I don't know how long I'm going to last like this." He said unconsciously increasing his pace. Wendy rotated her hips against him, increasing both of their pleasure and let go of his shoulders to fall back against the bed, her soft moans growing in volume the closer she got closer to her climax. "Natsu… some… thing is building…. I'm going to…!"

Natsu bent his body along hers, his thrusts becoming short and quick. "I'm going to cum Wendy."

"Mark me Natsu! Claim me!" She cried out as their hips met for the final time, feeling Natsu's seed shoot out inside of her, bringing her over the peak as she climaxed herself.

"Natsuuuu!"

"Wendy!"

They both cried out in a joined climax before Natsu bit down roughly on her collarbone hard enough to draw blood and drain part of his magic into her. Wendy cried out again at the feeling of his teeth on her skin before biting down on his neck with her sharp teeth.

After a long moment between the two, Natsu pulled back from her and looked down at the mark he had given her. He heard a low growl before he realized it was coming from Wendy, her eyes plastered on his neck where she had bitten him. Mirajane and Lucy gasped as one. "Natsu, do female Dragon Slayers mark as well?" Lucy asked finally, staring at the bite mark on his neck.

Natsu looked over at them curiously before raising his hand to his neck to trace the bloody teeth marks on his neck and smiled brightly. "I think it is safe to say that they do in fact mark their mates as we do."

"Well that doesn't seem fair." Lucy continued, folding her arms over her chest. "If she gets to mark you, then so should we."

Natsu slowly pulled himself from Wendy and sat up on his knees, while Wendy moaned in disappointment that they had separated. "Fair enough Luce. Tell me how we can fix this."

Mirajane pushed Natsu down onto his back before climbing over him. "Details later, you have something more important to do." She said impatiently removing her lace panties before taking her spot over his hips.

"Mira wait, not so- Ahhhh!" He groaned out, feeling her slide down over his length. His hands reached around her legs and grabbed her firm backside and massaged it as she sank slowly back down his length. He stopped massaging it and clenched his teeth at his heightened sensitivity after just having climaxed just moments before. Natsu let her repeat her motions, happily letting her take control of it. Mirajane was gasping and moaning lustfully every time she slammed herself on Natsu's length, demanding more pleasure.

Mirajane's eyes locked onto Natsu's, her large breasts swinging in time with her motions. She rested her hands firmly on her chest to gain leverage as thick meaty slaps accompanied each downward thrust, her head thrown back as she moaned in ecstasy. "I've missed having you like this Natsu!" She screamed, her voice heavily laden in lust.

Grabbing Lucy's wrist, Natsu pulled her over to him and brought her lips to his with a rough passionate kiss. He focused all of his attention on combatting Lucy's tongue for dominance to prevent himself from reaching his climax too soon. Mira's screams of pleasure filled the room as she lost her mind to an orgasm, drowning in her pleasure that Natsu was giving her. Her scream peaked as she climaxed, flushing her juices onto Natsu's lap.

The sheer force of the woman's pleasure threatened to force the woman into unconsciousness as she slumped against Natsu's chest. Her eyes rolled back in her head as she focused on regaining her senses, every brush of skin eliciting another moan from the woman, enough so that she willingly let herself slide off of Natsu. Closing her eyes, she sighed contently at the moment she had gained to rest.

Natsu pulled away from Lucy's lips and rolled over on top of her, thanking the two women silently for insisting on purchasing such a large bed. Gripping the blonde's hips Natsu laid his length over her panties and slowly rubbed himself against her, a dark stain growing over her sex as small moans escaped her lips. Natsu crushed his lips over hers; muffling her moans as his patience wore thin with his need to feel himself inside of his mate.

Lucy gripped Natsu's erection in one hand, moving aside her panties to give him access to her sex directly. She moaned deeply into his lips as his hands took up residence at the insides of her thighs to push her legs wider while he sank himself into her.

Wendy could only squirm where she lay, watching her mate thrust deeply into Lucy's sex. She squeaked in surprise when he turned his eyes upon her and pulled her over to them and placed her on top of Lucy. An appreciative sigh left her lips at the feeling of Natsu's fingers teasing over her core before sliding a finger into her in time with his thrusts into Lucy. Moving out of pleasure, Wendy moved her hips back against Natsu's fingers, unwittingly rubbing her clit against Lucy's. Both women moaned as their gazes met before pressing their lips forcefully against one another, lust fueling their heated kiss.

Wendy couldn't help but release another moan as Natsu added another finger to her core. She thrust her tongue into Lucy's awaiting mouth. It scared her how easily she had accepted the kiss, especially despite her earlier convictions about kissing another woman. Lucy broke the kiss to press her head against the bed. "Ahh! Harder Natsu!" She cried out, feeling warmth pool at the bottom of her stomach. Natsu hummed his acknowledgement of her request and increased his pace, gripping Wendy's hip with his free hand.

Both women moaned as the friction between their bodies increased and they pressed their lips together again, each trying to dominate the other. Natsu gripped almost painfully on Wendy's hip and closed his eyes as he felt his need to cum rear it's head once more. "Lucy!" he called out in pleasure, burying himself fully within her to fill her with his seed. Both Wendy and Lucy cried out together, screaming Natsu's name as the three climaxed together.

Groaning pleasurably, Natsu withdrew himself from Lucy and sat back on the bed, watching as his semen seeped from Lucy to pool up beneath her. Leaning back, Natsu tilted his head to let himself catch his breath from the effort he had exerted.

Mirajane didn't give him time to rest, her eyes set on a more pleasurable outcome for them. As soon as he positioned himself away from Wendy and Lucy to let them rest, she positioned herself on her hands and knees for him, spreading her legs in open invitation for him. "Natsu, I want you to take me. I want you to paint my insides white with your semen." She said seductively while looking over her shoulder at him.

Growling in appreciation of her actions, Natsu moved behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back up against his chest while he thrust into her, bottoming out inside her. She moaned at feeling pressure against her cervix. Natsu captured her earlobe between his sharp teeth, sucking on it gently. "I can't just leave my mate in waiting, now can I?" He said, sending a shiver down Mirajane's spine. She couldn't focus on anything other than the sheer force he took her with, her mouth opening in a soundless moan.

The bed creaked as he moved against her, her juices flowing freely down their legs onto the sheets below their knees. Mirajane sagged forward when his arm left her waist to grab her hips, thrusting harder and deeper into her. She barely caught herself from falling completely to the bed by putting her hands against the wall, once again finding her voice to scream in pleasure as he forced her into another orgasm. A heavy moan rumbled through Natsu as her walls clamped down on him, trying to milk him for everything he was worth.

Natsu refused to allow her to fall to the bed again, each thrust drawing another moan from her lips while the other two women watched Natsu thrust into her. Disentangling themselves from one another they moved over to the conjoined couple, wanting to continue with their pleasure as well. Natsu panted and felt like he was losing his mind to the pleasure.

Lucy used that brief moment as her advantage and pulled Natsu away from Mirajane while Wendy repositioned herself and the demon at the edge of the bed. He watched as Wendy pulled Mirajane on top of her, their sex pressed together firmly while Lucy took up her place with the women. Each of them looked over at him, their eyes drawing him in while they waited for him to take one of them. Natsu growled as he drank in the sight before stepping up behind them, thrusting himself deep within Wendy.

"Mmmm!" Wendy moaned, feeling Natsu penetrate her once more, moving slowly in and out of her. His slow movements caused her to roll her hips in an attempt to feel him better. She whimpered in disappointment when she felt Natsu pull out, only to replace his length into Mirajane. His thrusts caused Wendy and Mirajane's sensitive clits to rub against one another. The two locked eyes for a moment before initiating another kiss. It struck Wendy again at how easy it was to give herself over to the women and she knew it had to be because of the mark that was now imprinted visibly over her collarbone.

Not wanting to neglect his other mate, Natsu slid his hands down Lucy's back, trailing down each bump in her spine before caressing her ass. Mirajane felt herself drawing closer to yet another orgasm and tried to move her hips in time with his, crying out when he pulled himself from within her to prevent her from going over the edge. Lucy gasped as Natsu entered her, mixing her pleasure with pain as he slapped her ass.

Natsu worked the same slow, agonizing pace that he had with the other two women, drawing her closer and closer towards her climax before denying her the pleasurable release. He withdrew himself from her just a moment before she peaked and thrust into Wendy, almost throwing her into an orgasm with his sudden penetration.

"Natsu!" Wendy screamed, breaking her lips away from Mirajane. Natsu continued thrusting into Wendy, increasing his pace until she reached her climax, but stopping once again and pulling himself out when she felt herself about to lose her mind. She whimpered again in disappointment as he pulled out, fully expecting to be left waiting once again, but screaming as her climax took her over when he bottomed out in her, thrusting roughly into her tight sex.

Natsu thrust until he felt the woman start to shiver beneath him before removing himself and thrusting into an unsuspecting Lucy. He could feel his own climax drawing closer and he had to bite the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood to prevent himself from releasing himself.

Lucy rolled her hips against Natsu's rough thrusts and screamed as he let her climax again, her body sagging as she came down from the intense pleasure. Mirajane, already being so close from her constant attention with Wendy, lost her hold as soon as he thrust into her. Her walls tightened around his length, giving him the response he needed to let his body take over. A few short thrusts later, Natsu roared in pleasure, burying himself to the hilt in Mirajane, releasing his seed deep inside of her.

Natsu collapsed against the bed a moment later, the women moving around to find a comfortable place on the bed. A comfortable silence surrounded the four lovers as they let their bodies relax once more. Once she had her breath back, Wendy pushed her way out of the bed and looked down at the three, their eyes closed in concentration. Blushing at the sight of her mark on Natsu's neck she quickly moved over to grab her dress from the ground and pulled it over her head, squeaking when her eyes saw Natsu staring up at her. "Where do you think you are going?" He asked raising an eyebrow to her, making her squirm where she stood.

"I was going to head home to let you guys rest." Wendy said with a small smile. Natsu smiled back, though slyly, and sat up on the bed to hold a hand out to her. She stepped up to him, taking his hand in her own. She screamed in surprise when he pulled her down on top of him, fire licking around the two of them as he burnt the cloth from her body.

"Like hell I'd let you leave." He said wrapping his arms around her waist while his head sought out one of the pillows at the head of the bed. "This is your home now. I meant it when I said I wouldn't leave you Wendy. That goes both ways, you aren't allowed to leave either." Wendy nodded and settled on top of him, pressing her head against his chest to let his warmth wash over her.

She felt his arms unwrap from her as Lucy and Mirajane took up their usual places next to him, Lucy lying on his left side while Mirajane curled up on his right, each throwing a leg over one of his and Wendy's seeing as she was lying on top of him still. Once the two found their places he returned his arms, wrapping one around the woman at his side enough that the four were interlinked together. Mirajane and Lucy each put an arm around Wendy as well, linking hands across the small of her back.

Wendy felt a tear roll down her cheek onto Natsu's chest. "What's wrong Wendy?" He asked concerned, lifting his head to look at her.

Wendy smiled and bit her lower lip to prevent herself from whimpering. "I can feel you." She said happily. "All of you. I never knew it would be this strong. I never knew it would feel this… this good. I feel at home here." She confessed.

Natsu tightened his hold on the three women and smiled, closing his eyes. "I love you Wendy." He said confidently, knowing full well that it was truly what he felt in that moment. "I love you just as much as I love Mirajane and Lucy." Turning his head to each side, he kissed the tops of each of the women around him. "I couldn't ask for three better women, nor would I."

Wendy smiled and nuzzled closer to her mate. "I wouldn't have thought that you would tell me that just yet Natsu. Thank you for letting me choose for myself whether or not to take this. I…" She said, not knowing how to phrase her words correctly. "I love you too Natsu. Mirajane and Lucy… I don't know why, but I feel drawn towards you the same as I do Natsu. I love you both as well. I owe both of you more than I have words for… for letting me find happiness here."

Mirajane smiled against Natsu's shoulder and nodded. "If you think that we would have kept you from any of this, then you are crazy. You were already a part of Fairy Tail's family, but we are glad to have you in _our_ family."

Lucy opened her eyes and bit her lip. "We all love you Wendy. As strong as our joining is already, I can only imagine what it is going to be once the marks start to bring out a deeper desire."

Wendy smiled and felt her heart swell at the kind words her mates gave her, feeling their sincerity. "Do you want me to heal your bite mark Natsu?" She asked, indicating the bite she had given him that surrounded her Dragon Slayer's mating mark.

Natsu chuckled and shook his head. "I rather like it, another reminder of our union."

Silence once again surrounded the four and they let themselves relax into the bed as sleep claimed them one at a time.

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**Well I hope you all enjoyed how everything went. I know I made Natsu a little harsh on Trinity with his rejection of her, but I felt it was needed. **

**OH! Forgot to mention, the GMG will be an upcoming arc. Just a little warning, my storyline runs as if Natsu left before he participated in the GMG. I will explain everything further in an upcoming chapter, about where Fairy Tail stands in correlation of the other guilds and such.**


	20. Challenges

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima Does!**

**Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter up, I've been having a bit of a block for this story, but it is gone now!**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Challenge**

Natsu awoke a short hour after the four of them had fallen asleep. He had to stare out the window for longer than he wanted to in an attempt to determine what time it was, his mind still too foggy from their actions to realize it was still the same day. He smiled as everything came back to him, his long reveal of the past six years and the eventual admission of feelings, his need to claim ultimately pulling Wendy into his grasp. As if hearing his thoughts of her, Wendy squirmed on top of him, her eyes fluttering open. "How long was I asleep?" She asked in a hushed tone so as to not wake the others.

"An hour, two at the most." He whispered back with a smile. He found that once their eyes he did not want to look away. Her chocolate brown eyes drew him ever closer, his heart opening to her. They met in a gentle kiss, closing their eyes to feel one another's passion. "You don't regret this do you?" He asked after they had parted.

Wendy smiled sweetly down at her mate. "I wish we had more time to explore this before it happened, but I still don't regret it. Just promise you won't leave me or treat me as another woman." She rested her chin against his chest and smiled, knowing in her heart that she was more than that to him already. She just needed to hear him say it.

Natsu slowly drew his arms away from the two at his sides without waking them to encircle Wendy tightly. "I promise you are worth more to me than any other woman I know."

"Even more than Mira and Lucy?" She teased.

"That's not fair Wendy. You are each more important to me than anyone else could hope to be. I can't even begin to compare you to them or them to you. I need all three of you." He responded, his eyes closing while he shook his head.

"I know Natsu. I just find it hard to believe that after all this time, my mate was right under my nose. Like they said earlier, I didn't just get you out of this. I never knew how close I could feel with them, it isn't easy to look at them and know I am going to have to share you for the rest of our lives, but at the same time it feels… I don't know, it just feels right. But that makes our next step even harder… how do we tell everyone about us?"

Natsu smiled, knowing full well just how hard it was on her to know she would have to share her mate. It would take her time, but he knew the four of them would be able to work out the details together. "Carla will probably be mad, but it will give her and Happy a better chance to be together here. Plus, we have more than enough room for those two to have their own room if they so choose, separate rooms if they find it too much. I can take care of the rest of the guild. They may not understand, especially Romeo…" He frowned at the young man's name, torn between wanting to rip him apart for hurting Wendy in the first place, or to thank him for allowing him the chance to show Wendy what she was worth. "They are family; we can't hide it from them. I ran away once and I will regret it for the rest of my life for running from my loved ones. I won't run again." He finished with a curt nod, his decision made. Giving her forehead a small kiss, Natsu sat up with Wendy still in his arms, moving Lucy and Mirajane enough so he could get up and out of bed, setting Wendy down on the edge next to him.

"Should we wake them?" Wendy asked looking down at the two sleeping peacefully.

"They should be up soon regardless. They may not be as quick to recover as we are, but they are faster than most. I'm going to shower then head into town for a few things. After I'm back, we should head to the guild." Natsu said leaving the three women around the bed to disappear into the conjoined bathroom. Stretching his tired muscles, Natsu turned the water on to the shower, listening to Wendy quietly move about the bedroom before entering behind him.

"Ummm… Natsu?" Her voice brought his head around to her, smiling at the embarrassment written across her face. "Well… I just remembered that you… you destroyed my clothes… Can I borrow some of yours until I can get some from my place?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow but smiled. "Of course, you shouldn't have even asked. Just because our coming together left a lot to be desired doesn't mean that we are any less than mates. Speaking of such, since you are here why don't you join me?"

Wendy blushed and covered herself a little, growing self-conscious with her mate watching her. "I don't know Natsu, as much as I enjoyed it, I'm rather sore." She whispered.

Natsu crossed the distance between them and lifted her chin. "Calm down Wendy, I was just suggesting you join me for my shower. We don't have to do anything you don't want to." Cupping her cheek he kissed her gently, releasing her and entering the shower, leaving her blushing.

Wendy reached up and touched her lips, watching Natsu's shadow through the curtain while wondering how she was going to resist his advances if he continued along like this. She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts, but when she opened them she found herself standing in front of him, the water splashing across his back. She could see the heat rising off the water. It clouded the air around them, her lungs warming with every breath she took. Natsu stepped aside and shared the water with her, but he was true to his word, keeping his hands to himself except to help her wash her back.

Natsu was the first one out of the shower, letting Wendy shut the water off before tossing her a towel to dry off, using a small amount of flames to dry himself in an instant. "Well that looks handy." Wendy commented with a small giggle. She squeaked when Natsu spun on her with a devilish grin, blowing his flames over her. In turn she closed her eyes and tensed, but didn't turn away. "A little warning next time?" She said sarcastically, tossing the now useless towel into the hamper.

Returning to the room, Wendy saw that the other two were still asleep, thanking Natsu for the clothes he handed her, pulling on her underwear before pulling his clothes on. She sighed when she finally got a look at herself, she knew they would be too big for her, as would Lucy and Mirajane's have been, but she had expected them to fit at least a little bit. Instead of complaining, she counted herself lucky that he had given her one of his fully enclosed jackets and a pair of his shorts that she could tie off tightly around her waist. "Do you mind if I come with you around town so I can at least get some of my own clothes from home before we go to the guild to tell them about us?"

Natsu looked back over his shoulder at her and smiled before pulling on one of his many sleeveless vests he owned, this one a dark green that buttoned up to his neck. "One condition, there is one store I have to go to that you can't see, when I ask you, would you mind waiting somewhere while I go there?" He asked while he walked over to the bed where the two lay and left his scarf with them, smiling down for a moment before taking Wendy's hand, who smiled and nodded her acceptance of his condition.

* * *

When Wendy and Natsu finally met up after he had gone into a store by himself, Natsu stopped and spun on the heel of his foot as if searching for something. Natsu turned them towards the guild, pulling Wendy along in a jog. "I thought we were going let me get some clothes before we went there?" Wendy asked confused.

"We'll have to do that later, I felt something come from Lucy… she needs us." He responded and pulled her along faster into a run. A sudden wash of dread spread through the bond, coming from both Lucy and Mirajane this time and Natsu pulled faster, his feet digging into the ground at the effort he was putting out to run faster.

"Just go, I'll catch up." Wendy said, finally feeling the distressed call from the women. Natsu shot a glare over at her at her offer, instead giving her arm a sharp tug towards him, catching her in his arms.

"Hold on." He said quickly, flames launching across his body. Wendy couldn't help the cry of surprise that escaped her lips when she felt her ears pop from the sudden explosion of speed in which Natsu had them traveling. After reorienting herself in his arms she focused on splitting the air in front of them with her magic to enable Natsu to move faster. A short laugh from Natsu showed his appreciation of her quick thoughts. The two quickly made short work of the distance, combining Natsu's speed with Wendy's ability to cut through the air as Natsu resorted to sprinting along rooftops as to avoid the people below.

At the last moment, Natsu spun and slammed through the guild door with his back. Splinters and screams filled the air at the Dragon Slayer's sudden entrance, Wendy jumping out of his arms as they both prepared for a battle. Natsu scanned the area, his eyes landing on the two women he was looking for, their eyes refusing to meet his as they sat sheepishly at the bar surrounded by a few of the others. One person in particular stood out to him other than his mates, Romeo. The man looked utterly defeated, looking as if he had seen his own death.

"Sorry Natsu…" Mirajane offered weakly, giving a small smile. "They wouldn't let us go until we told them... about everything." The take-over mage looked over at Wendy's shocked face and a genuine smile passed over her lips, if only for a moment.

"S-so that was what that distress feeling was about? You had us worried half to death!" Wendy cried out, rubbing her hands over her arms. She froze realizing she was still in Natsu's clothes and quickly hid behind him, gripping tightly to his vest.

"I think you owe Romeo some answers Natsu." The Dragon Slayer growled at hearing the mage's name, his eyes turning to the woman who had spoken to him. Erza stood with her arms folded across her chest plate. "He came back to apologize and make up with Wendy just after Mirajane and Lucy came in. I think we all need some answers, when did this all start?"

"I tried to tell them!" Lucy cried out throwing her hands up. "They don't believe me!"

Natsu pulled Wendy along with him to stand in front of Romeo, his eyes hard. "Too little, too late." He growled, ignoring the redhead briefly. Natsu's body shook with anger, knowing that the person in front of him had hurt _his_ mate, but he didn't act on the anger. No matter how mad he was, Romeo was still a part of the guild, he was still family. "You want to know when this started! This started when you cheated on her!" He clenched his jaw shut, baring his teeth. "I hope you regret what you did, not because you lost her, but because of what you put her through. She deserves better. You have already proven you can't give her that."

Romeo looked up, his eyes slowly filling with anger, drowning out his sorrow. "What gives you the right to take advantage of her-"

Natsu's fist cut off his sentence, hitting the mage in the gut to knock the wind out of him. "She gave me the right when she chose me."

"That's enough Natsu, this obviously isn't going anywhere." Erza spat at him, pushing him back into Mirajane, Lucy, and Wendy's arms. He hadn't even seen them move behind him, his attention too focused on the younger mage in front of him. The gentle touch of his mates almost instantly drew his anger out of him.

"It's okay Natsu, I'm still here." Wendy said gently, squeezing his upper arm. She gave a small smile to Romeo. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, and I know it is soon… But I didn't do this to forget about you. It's true that if we were still together I wouldn't have even thought about being with Natsu… but we can't change the past."

Natsu forgot about the whole situation at the sudden presence of something sinister behind him and spun around, his eyes wide. "Who broke the door?" Natsu shrank back at the icy voice, dropping his head. "Natsu, was this you?"

"Yes, master…" He said quietly, scratching the back of his head. "But you should have enough left in the funds to pay for it." He said quickly regaining his confidence and smiling brightly.

"What funds? We haven't had any savings since we rebought the guild hall back three years ago." Master Makarov said frowning.

Natsu's eyebrows rose questioningly. "You're telling me you never got any donations while I was gone?" He asked quietly, almost accusingly. Makarov cocked his head to the side in confusion of his own.

"How would you know about those?"

"Well after you lost the games, I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. You probably lost because I wasn't there!" Natsu said throwing up his hands. "So I sent whatever I found inside of the Dark Guild's treasuries."

"What! Dark Guild treasuries! Why were you at any Dark Guilds?" Makarov asked angrily, sending a cool glare over at the Dragon Slayer.

"Shit…" Natsu cursed under his breath, casting a look around at all of the questioning looks around him before sighing. "Well, you were going to find out about it one day anyways… I had just hoped to tell you after the next games…" Natsu gestured absently, trying to think of a way to get out of this predicament.

"They deserve to know." Mirajane said quietly, tugging on his arm to get his attention. "They will understand, just give them a little trust."

Natsu looked between each of the woman around him, making sure to make eye contact with them. "I don't know what I would do without you three." He whispered to them, nodding slightly. "Alright fine, it's true."

"What's true?" Makarov asked, his voice as cold as ever.

"I'm sure you heard about the mage that has been taking on Dark Guilds over the past five years. I also know that the Magic Council has reason to believe it was me because of the fires left behind." He said, trying to lead them to the answer without actually saying it himself.

"What about it? Everyone knows the rumors, what does that have to do with you Natsu?" Makarov said, his voice saying that he knew where Natsu was headed, but he needed him to come clean and say it himself.

Letting out another sigh, Natsu shook his head. "They aren't rumors. I hunted down any Dark Guild I could find while I was gone."

"And?" Makarov said raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"Okay, okay… Not just Dark Guilds… Kidnappers, murderers, slavers… anyone that needed to be stopped before they hurt anyone else, before they ruined anymore lives… I hunted them down…" He said his voice growing cold as his eyes darkened in anger. "I hunted them down and made sure they could **never** hurt anyone again. I didn't have any use for the money they left behind, I wasn't doing it to get money or fame or infamy or anything of the sort. I did it because no one else would." He said finally.

Everyone stood silently around him, his mates gently touching his arms or his shoulder to show their support. "I already knew it was you Natsu, do you know why I didn't stop you?" Makarov finally said to which Natsu shook his head. "I didn't stop you because you weren't wrong. I don't like it, but you weren't wrong. I didn't know the money was from you though. I never thought to put the two together, but now that you are back, we don't have to worry about that. We have something else to worry about. The games have come around this year again. We lost our title because we were gone for seven years. We couldn't get it back because our strongest mages were an emotional wreck when you left and couldn't get them back together, seeing as you left just a month before the games."

Natsu sighed and folded his arms across his chest. "So this year we plan to get it back. No one can stand in our way when we are together." The Dragon Slayer looked around him, seeing quite a few confused looks as they tried to process what Makarov and he had just been talking about before dismissing the subject to talk about the games.

"We need to decide on teams, any volunteers?" Makarov asked, hopping on top of a table. Everyone seemed to snap out of their confusion, vowing to themselves to get more answers later. They weren't willing to miss out on the games just because of what Natsu said. After all, if Master Makarov didn't mind, neither should they.

Elfman, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and even Laxus were the first ones at the table, throwing their names into the idea. In the blink of an eye, everyone else was at the table trying to claim their spot on the list. "Enough!" Makarov called out, his deep voice echoing through the guild hall. "There will be two teams again this year. Each team will be selected by a team leader, now… who will those two be?"

Natsu stepped away from the group and leaned against the back wall, watching as everyone bickered over who should lead the teams. He smiled to himself, happy that everything seemed to be back to normal, back to the way things had been before he had left. "A contest!" He said finally, his voice shouting over everyone, gaining Makarov's attention. "Come up with a contest to find out who is not just the strongest, but the most well rounded. The leaders don't have to be the best of the best, but they need to know how to lead a team. Everyone here works well together, but others work better together than they do with some people. Everyone should make a team of their own and compete to see who works the best together."

Makarov smiled at the idea. "And the team that comes in last…" He started to laugh to himself, causing everyone to shrink back knowingly. "The team to come in last will accept a punishment to be dealt out by me in whatever way I see fit." He said with resounding confidence.

Natsu smirked, knowing that no matter what the contest was, he and his team would win. There was no tighter knit group of people than he and his mates. The only issue that he could see was the fifth member of his team. He scanned the guild, searching for whomever he could find that wasn't already in a team, skipping over most of the strongest members seeing them all grouped together.

"Happy!" He called out finally, waving his little blue friend over. Happy flew over with a large grin on his face, landing weightlessly on the table in front of Natsu. "I want you to be the fifth member of my team." He explained, much to the Exceed's surprise.

"But I'm not strong like you." Happy said sadly, fidgeting with his paws.

"You were my teammate for my S-class trial, I know full well what you are capable of happy." Natsu laughed and shook his head. "That is why we are a team, buddy. I've spent enough time away from you, and I'm sorry about not telling you about Wendy and I before you found out the way you did. We wanted to invite you and Carla to live with us. We…" He said gesturing to the three women around the table. "…would be happy to have you on our team."

Lucy reached forward and grabbed the cat, pulling him to her in a tight hug. "He's right Happy. It hasn't felt the same with all of us together, why don't you join us?"

"Aye!" Happy said pulling himself away from Lucy. "I'll go get Carla!" He said cheerfully before flying away to find the white cat.

"Are you sure about this Natsu? Don't we need someone that can actually fight?" Mirajane asked quietly once the Exceed had gotten far enough away.

Natsu smiled over at her. "The games aren't always about fighting. Not every match is a fight; there are races and other challenges as well. Besides, with you three, I don't think we need any more firepower behind us. Speaking of firepower… Mira… you can't use your Dragon Soul until we are actually in the games… Not unless it is absolutely necessary, okay?"

Mirajane nodded slowly, her mind elsewhere. "I'm more worried about what will happen during the games. We haven't done very well in the past few years, but now that we have everyone together again… It should be different, but with you back won't the council intervene? You said it yourself; there are rumors that they already suspect you for the disappearance of the Dark Guilds…"

Lucy shook her head in response, throwing the idea out of the way. "They don't have any proof it was him except he uses fire. I'm sure we can convince them otherwise if we try to. They just need to see that he isn't the one they want. We have to find a way, I won't lose him again. I won't lose you again Natsu." She said finally turning to him, determination evident in her eyes. "If it comes down to it, we can disguise you until after the games. After all, Jellal isn't on the run from them anymore after he proved he wasn't the same person he was before."

Natsu leaned back into the wall again, folding his arms over his chest. "I don't think we can hide who I am if I have to fight though. Not many people use flames like I do, let alone the fact that I am a Dragon Slayer." For added affect to his word he blew a flame out of the corner of his mouth. "I'm not a fan of lying to them though. They will have to decide for themselves what to do for what I've done. We will deal with it when the time comes."

"If you really think we can just leave it at that, then you really don't know us yet Natsu. We won't let them take you from us." Mirajane said smirking. "I would like to see them try to take you away, but first we need to make sure we actually make it to the games. It won't matter what the council would do if we don't make it there in the first place. Maybe they don't know you are even back yet."

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "Mira, you do remember what happened back on the train don't you? Nothing goes on without them sticking their noses into it. I wouldn't be surprised if they had something planned already. But like you said, as long as we are together we can figure it out. I won't leave you, not again." Letting out a sigh, Natsu waved his hand in the air absently to try and get away from the issues.

"Natsu!" The Dragon Slayer groaned, turning his head towards the voice.

"What do you want Erza, I thought you would be more into finding your team."

"I think it is time for you to explain what exactly you meant by saying you were out hunting those that no one else would. More specifically, I want to know how you made sure they would never do it again." The anger in her voice brought along another groan from the Dragon Slayer, knowing he wouldn't get out of explaining himself.

"Just leave it at that Erza. You just have to trust me on this, you don't want to know." He said bluntly, an edge to his words.

"She isn't the only one that expects answers flame brain. From what the rumors say, you tortured them to steal their magic to power up yourself." Gray said dropping into a seat. "If you meant what you said, then that must be true too. It's the only way to explain how you have gotten so strong in just six years. How can we trust someone willing to go that far to get stronger?"

Natsu shoved away from the wall, drawing orange flames into his fists. "Want to run that by me again Gray?" Anger seethed from his voice, making the ice mage's eyes widen. It was rare that Natsu had ever used his name rather than an insult. "You want to know exactly what happened, fine." Stepping up to the ice mage, Natsu grabbed his collar and pulled him to his feet. "I will tell you exactly what happened, but don't come complaining to me when you don't want to hear anymore."

"Natsu calm down!" Wendy grabbed Natsu's wrist and tried to pull him away from the ice mage. Natsu's flames faded out, but his glare remained glued to Gray.

"Fine then, talk. Make me understand." Gray said once he had regained some of his confidence. "The rumors only get worse from there, what are we supposed to think when you never gave us word about if you were safe or where you were. You come back and say the rumors are true, so which ones?"

Natsu pulled his glare from the man and dropped into a bench, his mates taking up the seats around him to offer their support, Lucy sitting to his left and Wendy to his right with Mirajane standing behind him, her hands on his shoulders. "You should all know me better than that. I never did anything like that unless it needed to be done. At first, it wasn't about even fighting anyone. I left to learn more about my mating mark, but I wasn't strong enough. So I went looking for strong opponents to test myself, to get stronger. Thieves, Dark Guilds, bandits, monsters… anything that I could find to get stronger while actually doing something good…"

* * *

By the time Natsu was done explaining where he had been and the issues that had come around to change his mind on what it meant to take a life, the sun had fallen, leaving the city in darkness. "What the hell were you thinking doing that by yourself!" Erza cried out, having kept silent throughout his story. "If you would have come back sooner, we could have worked through it together, you were always like this! Thinking you don't need any help, thinking you were too good for help."

"Think about it the other way Erza." Natsu said calmly, expecting more of an outburst from the redhead. "How many people would have been spared if Jellal had been stopped before he put the Tower of Heaven to use?"

Erza flinched visibly. "He isn't the same person anymore; he has made up for what he did already!"

"Can he ever make up for all of the lives he has taken, all of those innocent lives because he wanted power? No, I'm not here to argue about what could have happened or who is right or wrong or whatever. Jellal has changed since then, but others haven't." Natsu said with resounding finality.

"How do we know you won't hurt someone in the guild?" Gray asked weakly, his view on the Dragon Slayer he had once known shattered.

Natsu looked genuinely hurt, but found that he couldn't bring forth the words to defend himself. "I don't expect you to understand why I did it, but it's obvious what you think of me now. I do what I have to do, not because I like it, but because it has to be done. I shoulder this so none of you will have to."

"Natsu is the same as he has ever been." Mirajane said roughly, glaring at the gathering of people that had listened to the tale. "Natsu willingly threw his life in front of a child and his parents who were willing to sacrifice a Fairy Tail mage. If he was a monster then why would he do that?"

"She speaks the truth." Gajeel said pointedly. "Besides, what do we have to fear from him if the Master wasn't worried about it?"

"I'm keeping an eye on you." Gray said harshly before walking away. With the ice mage leaving, it seemed like a convenient queue for the rest of the crowd to disperse, mulling over what he had told them. Watching them all leave, Natsu closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair.

Happy landed on his lap, tugging on his shirt. "I still trust you, Natsu. If I can't trust you, then I wouldn't be able to trust anyone. You are still like a father to me." Natsu hugged the Exceed to his chest in appreciation of his heartfelt words.

"Everyone will come around Natsu. If we can, then they can too." Wendy said kissing his cheek

Giving the blue-haired Dragon Slayer a smile, Natsu squeezed her hand gently before leaning his head back to look at Mirajane over him. "Have you two thought about what you plan on marking me with?" He asked, taking their minds off of the tournament and the issues with the rest of the guild. He reached his hand up to the mark on the left side of his neck, not being able to feel the design, but knowing what it looked like regardless. He had known as soon as she had given it to him. It was a light blue diamond with a feather inside of it in the same color. "Ink will work for a while, but we will need to get it redone every few months to make sure it stays."

Smiling, Mirajane massaged his neck. "Well I was thinking about what we could do about that. Reedus might know someone that could get it permanently added to your skin. As for what I want to get… I was thinking something along the lines of what I can do with my magic. I want it to be memorable, something that will always remind you of me."

"I don't need anything to remind you of me. You know that right? The first and last things I think about are you three. The marks you give me serve as a reminder to anyone that looks at me to know that I belong to you. I know it, but I want everyone around to see it." Natsu said staring into Mirajane's shining blue eyes.

"I don't know how you always know exactly what to say, but you do. Come on; let's get Wendy her own clothes so we can get you marked up." Mirajane said kissing his forehead. With a smile, Natsu let go of Happy and slid out of the bench. Happy jumped away and floating along with Carla, who had been silent the entire time.

"Wendy, can I talk to you." Carla said calmly.

"What's wrong Carla?" Wendy asked sheepishly.

"I would rather talk without anyone else around if you don't mind." Carla said bluntly.

Natsu leaned over and kissed Wendy's collarbone over his mark. "I'm going to go talk to Reedus and see if he has any friends that can help us out. Come find us when you figure everything out and we can head out." He moved to walk away but she grabbed his wrist and pulled him over again, drawing his lips down to hers.

"Don't go far." She whispered letting him go. Natsu smiled and nodded before pulling away and leaving again. She blushed after him. "Carla…"

"I'm not mad Wendy." Carla said sitting down on the table. "I know you have grown up. Happy told me everything and I just wanted to talk with you alone for a moment. I wanted to make sure this is what you want. After everything that has happened, what with Romeo acting the way he is and what Natsu has done while he was gone… I just want you to know that I'm behind you."

"I need this Carla. It may not look like it, but this feels right. It isn't enough to wait around for things to come around anymore; we have to take a step forward on our own once in a while." Wendy said folding her hands in her lap. "This is different from what Romeo did to me. Natsu isn't like that, no matter how bad it looks. Every time he looks at me, I can see the love and guilt in his eyes. He loves me, but feels guilty for having to make me share him. He makes me happy."

Carla nodded and dropped her head. "As long as you are happy. But I don't want to hear about you getting pregnant Wendy. You are still too young for that!"

Wendy laughed and shook her head. "I won't get pregnant for a while yet Carla. I haven't gone into heat yet, just so you know." Carla's mouth dropped open. She hadn't fathomed the idea about Wendy being intimate, let alone already worrying over having a child.

"I meant that as a joke! You already... You already had sex with him!" Carla cried out.

Wendy flinched at the Exceed's sudden explosion of anger. "Well… that is how you have to mate after all. Otherwise the mark wouldn't have come around just yet." Carla sat, her eyes growing wider, sputtering wordlessly. "It wasn't like it was planned out Carla. We didn't sit down and determine that we were going to mate, that isn't how it happens. He needed me and gave me a choice, he even told me about his past and told me it was up to me. So of course I stepped in happily. Now if you don't mind, I need to go find those three. Come on." Wendy stood up and sniffed the air, pinpointing Natsu's distinct smell of fire and brimstone before her eyes even settled on him.

"Wendy, you're growling." Carla said pointedly as she floated next to the Dragon Slayer. Wendy raised a hand to her mouth and clamped over it, muttering her apologies. Carla sighed and shook her head, knowing that the girl was head over heels for her mate already.

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**Sorry this chapter was a bit scattered, the next will hopefully be better!**


	21. Preparations

**I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does!**

**Okay so after reading through this story again to see where exactly I wanted to take this, I realized that this story is extremely romance oriented. I'm going to try and put a little more adventure into it so it doesn't get too boring.**

**That being said, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Preparations **

"Natsu… Natsu~" Natsu groaned and turned his head towards the voice, still fighting off the sleep that held him down. "Natsu, if you don't wake up we'll just have to leave without you." The voice teased, her breath tickling across the skin of his cheek.

A low growl filled the silence. Natsu peeled his lips back from his teeth and attacked, grabbing the woman standing over him and throwing her down on the bed to roll over on top of her. "You smell good Lucy." He whispered, burying his nose into her golden locks, sending the girl into a fit of giggles while trying to fend him off with halfhearted attempts. Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrists, one in each of his large hands, and held them to the bed over her head.

"Natsu wait, we really do need to go. We have to be back at the guild by noon to register our team." Lucy whined, earnestly trying to pull away from the Dragon Slayer now. Natsu ignored her comment for the time being, leaving gentle kisses down her neck. Her whines turned to soft moans at the feeling of wet heat lighting fire along her skin.

"Just a taste for what's to come, then." Natsu whispered against her soft skin, kissing and licking higher. "You taste better than you smell." Lucy arched her back to press her body against his bare chest. The thin cloth separating them, though soft and smooth, grated along her skin to send sparks through her. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, biting her lower lip as he trailed agonizingly slow kisses across her chin until she felt his warm breath over her lips. He let go of her hands and planted his own on either side of her head, brushing his lips teasingly over hers, but not quite giving her the kiss she desired.

Lucy dug her fingers into her mate's hair and pulled his lips fully against hers in a heated kiss. Natsu responded in kind, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, battling against her for dominance, but in time Lucy gave over to him. She gave him free reign, accepting his will to allow the kiss to deepen, Natsu pressing his body along hers. The two parted in an attempt to breath, Lucy's lungs burning from the lack of oxygen.

"I asked you to wake him up, not stick your tongue down his throat." Lucy squeaked and leaned her head into Natsu's chest to hide her blush, feeling the demon's glare.

"You know you didn't just have to watch." Natsu turned his head to the side to look her in the eye, meeting her glare with a sly smile. "You are more than welcome to join us; there is plenty to go around." He said with a chuckle, hunger filling his veins for his mates.

Mirajane crossed the distance in quick, hurried steps. "Don't be so cocky Mr. Big Bad Dragon Slayer. Don't go making promises you can't keep." Natsu flinched at the challenging tone in her voice, but he didn't back down. He kept eye contact with her, feeling her passion through the mark.

"You can't scare me like that Mira. You forget that I can see inside you. I know what you are feeling… I know what you really want." She surprised him, her face turning sly before grabbing him by the back of the neck. She ripped him out of Lucy's grasp to slam him into the wall, her lips slanting over his as she took the role of dominance from him. The demon smiled in her mind when he fought back, but no matter how strong he was physically, she knew exactly how to press his buttons to distract him long enough to take over completely. She couldn't help but moan against his lips with his hands gripping her tight ass through her dress.

Using his hands to travel up her curves, Natsu picked her up by the waist and pushed her back, forcibly parting their lips. Natsu growled in response to her whimper, but smiled at his success. "Like you said, we need to get going or we will miss the challenge Master has thought up for us. We can continue this when we have taken our place in the games." Wrapping an arm around her legs, Natsu threw Mirajane over his shoulder and grabbed the blushing blonde from the bed under his other arm. Both women screamed and hit him any way they could manage, demanding to be let down. Natsu laughed heartily while leaving their room.

Wendy looked up from her place on the couch, stowing her book back in the table stand. She couldn't help but smile at the scene, the look of pure amusement plastered over Natsu's features bringing joy to her heart. She couldn't help but blush when she remembered what had been going on upstairs, her enhanced hearing and their marks filling in all the gaps her eyes hadn't. "Ready to go Wendy?" Natsu asked setting the two women down by the door.

"Just waiting on you three." She commented, smoothing out the wrinkles from her dress. "How can you still have so much energy after last night?" Her eyes widened at how blunt and suggesting her words were. Things had changed so fast that sometimes she couldn't hold back her thoughts. She blinked as Natsu cupped her cheeks with both hands.

"I could never get enough of you three. I won't be satisfied with myself until each of you are left satisfied and pregnant." He whispered, leaning closer together with her to meet in a slow, gentle kiss. Despite the lack of sheer ferocity of the other two kisses, Wendy felt her knees weaken all the same. Conscious that the other two women were watching Wendy deepened the kiss, circling a hand around to the back of his neck, her tongue begging entrance to his mouth. Just because Mirajane and Lucy were there didn't mean that Wendy was willing to hold back her own desire. She knew they wouldn't have judged her for such an act.

Natsu willingly let her in, meeting her tongue with his own. There was no struggle for power; they met equally, simply enjoying one another. Natsu broke the kiss before it could go any further, giving her another short, close mouthed kiss. When they finally parted, Natsu took up her left hand in his, beckoning Happy over with his free hand. "I almost forgot about why we went out yesterday."

Happy floated over to Natsu, dropping a small velvet box into his hand. "I don't see why you couldn't have just waited until after the games to get this, Natsu."

Natsu chuckled and opened the box, pulling a ring out from inside of it. "I want everyone that looks at her to know she is taken. There are few out there that know what our mating marks mean, I want everyone to see that she is mine and mine alone." Tossing the box over to the floating Exceed, Natsu slipped the ring over Wendy's finger. "I will not claim you belong to me, because you have the right to do what you please. You heart is another matter, your heart belongs to me."

Wendy looked down at her finger and felt a tear roll down her cheek. "I don't see how you can expect me to fight with something like this on my finger." She had noticed the same exact ring on Mirajane and Lucy's hands and knew it was another symbol to them that they were all equal in his heart. "Come on, we will never get there just standing here." Letting go of Natsu's hand, Wendy grabbed a hand from each of the other two women and pulled them out the door, eager to claim their spot in the games.

* * *

Natsu squirmed in the wooden seat, unable to find a comfortable position to sit in. It didn't help that the man Reedus had recommended was nearly as old as Makarov was, his left eye white from having lost his vision years ago. Said man, having introduced himself as Vincent, was standing over the Dragon Slayer, scrutinizing him with his one good eye while leaning on a worn cane. "Take off your shirt." He commanded, raising a hand to keep Natsu from complaining. "It is a part of the process; I have to follow your magical currents to determine if your body can take my magic. I need to see your skin before I can continue." He explained.

Narrowing his eyes, Natsu held the man with a hard glare, but removed his vest all the same and handed it to Wendy over his shoulder. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder to comfort him. Removing his gaze from the old man, Natsu occupied himself by watching Mirajane and Lucy look through a large stack of photo albums that had pictures and sketches of past images he had imprinted on others. Natsu jumped in surprise when the older man put his hand on Natsu's pectoral testing Natsu's skin by probing it with his magic, only to snatch it away in a hiss of pain.

"It won't work." Vincent said in a huff and shook his head. "Your magic is too abrasive, it will just burn off whatever images I try to implant on you. I am sorry to say, but I can be of no help." He added sullenly. "Maybe you can still find whoever gave you that image on your neck, if they can get that to stay, maybe they could get whatever you wanted." He offered.

"I didn't choose the way it looked when I gave it to him, my magic chose for me." Wendy stated sadly, knowing that she wouldn't be able to help with Mirajane and Lucy's marks. "I couldn't add another's mark to my mate, only my own."

The older man rubbed over his brow, surprised at the young blue haired woman's statement. "Maybe this is a little too personal… but do you mean mate as like an animal or a lover? And what would that have to do with putting a mark on his neck?"

Natsu thrust his chin at the other two looking through the albums, their faces downcast at hearing he could be of no help. They sighed and simply tried to enjoy the images for what they were, for what they had meant to others. "It has to do with my magic. It is too much to explain right now, but as a Dragon Slayer, this mark shows that I am hers… and the marks on her, Mirajane, and Lucy's collarbones…" Natsu reached behind him, trailing his hand up Wendy's arm to her shoulder and over the mark to show him what he meant. "… These show others like me that they are mine in all ways. These marks bind us together through not only our love, but through magic."

Vincent reached a tentative hand out, stopping for a moment over Wendy's collarbone to look into her eyes to ask for permission. She gave a small nod and he touched briefly over the mark, threading his magic into it to test how it stayed in the skin so prominently. The instant his magic touched her, the mark flared brightly and took on the appearance that it was moving, spinning even. He cried out in pain and surprise when Natsu's hand snapped up and clamped down on his wrist, wrenching Vincent's hand away from Wendy.

Natsu shoved Vincent back as he came to his feet. "I would recommend not tampering with that. I don't know what you did, but I don't want you to try that ever again. I know you meant no harm, but next time I won't settle for a little bruising of your wrist." Natsu sighed and dropped back down into the hard wooden chair. "I'm sorry… When it comes to them…. I'm not always in control of what I say or do."

Vincent rubbed his sore wrist, but nodded, his eyes locked on the mating mark over Natsu's neck. "I think I understand though. I could feel your magic as well as her own in that mark. From what I have gathered so far, your magic should be tearing her apart from the inside. How is it that you can control it?"

"Through these marks, my magic cannot harm them." Natsu explained, a small smile gracing his lips. "They can even control my magic a little through their emotions. The stronger the emotion, the more they can control it."

Vincent stood there with a hand on his chin, eyes darting between the four. "I have something I would like to try. If your magic cannot hurt them, maybe I can use their power to enhance the images they wish to place. I don't think I could control the image, but if this works correctly, their magic will combine with mine to draw forth the image it desires. There will be no going back once we do this though."

Natsu sat confused, not fully understanding what Vincent was suggesting. He blinked up at the man. "How do you plan to use someone else's powers to plant the image?"

Vincent turned his attention away from Natsu with a dismissive wave of his hand. "How about it ladies?" He asked giving them a crooked smile. "It doesn't sound fair that he can mark up your bodies, but you can't do the same to him."

Mirajane was the first to react, stepping over to Natsu, standing just next to his shoulder. "Just tell me what you need me to do." She looked over at Vincent, hope brimming through her eyes.

A large smile split the mage's face and he motioned for her to step in front of Natsu. "I cannot say for sure this will work, but it is worth a try. Remember, I can't determine what will come of your mark or how large it will be. The only thing I can say is that it will be permanent." Mirajane nodded and took a long deep breathe to steady her mind. Vincent held out a hand to her. "I'm going to put my magic in the palm of your hand, don't freak out on me. Put your hand where you want the image. The rest will be up to your magic's will."

Reaching forward, Mirajane looked down at her mate, hesitating briefly in thought of where she wanted it. Her eyes sought his, the black diamonds sucking her in until all that existed were the two of them. Warmth spread through her hand and arm before she realized she had placed her palm over the left side of his chest. Pain filled his eyes, his brows furrowing as his muscled tensed under his hand. She couldn't take her hand away, his hand clamping over hers to hold it in place.

His body started to shake and she realized the skin under her hand was turning black, but he refused to cry out. "I trust you." Natsu whispered to her, his words coming out strangled. Those three words in any other situation would have brought her happiness, but in this instance she didn't trust herself because she didn't know what was happing or how she could control it.

Every second that ticked by seemed longer than the last, Mirajane unable to do anything but offer her strength to him through her eyes. As suddenly as it came, it ended with Natsu sighing and slumping forward, dropping his hold on her hand. His breath came rough and ragged but he no longer shook from the pain. Mirajane tentatively touched him, afraid that she would hurt him further. Natsu melted into her hand, his cheek pressing against her palm. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

"Do you need me to heal you?" Wendy asked kneeling to his left side.

Natsu shook his head, though neither knew who he was answering. A few minutes passed before Natsu leaned back against the chair, giving Mirajane a weak smile. "How does it look?"

Vincent appeared with a mirror, his hands shaking as he handed it over. "I swear I didn't know that would happen." Natsu nodded and took the mirror, holding it up to see the newly imprinted tattoo. He frowned and blinked his eyes as if unsure of what he was seeing. It appeared as if a chunk of his skin had been ripped from his body, as if a piece of his skin had been pulled from his muscle to be replaced by a torn black darkness no larger than Mirajane's palm. In the center lay a large dark purple eye. Mirajane reached out and touched it, the image reacting to her touch, blinking and causing her to pull back with a shriek. "It moved!"

Natsu smiled in realization, dropping the mirror into his lap. "I think it represents your ability to take souls into your body. As in another watches from within you." Taking her hand in his, Natsu kissed her palm.

Wendy reached out and touched the image and the eye reacted in almost the same way, blinking but when it reopened it was a lighter shade of purple. As soon as her hand left it, it reverted back to the dark purple it had been previously. Vincent gently pushed the women to the side and bent down to examine the image. The eye reacted in turn, the eye turning to look at him, staring him down as it darkened. Natsu pulled back but the eye stayed trained on Vincent until Mirajane put a hand on his shoulder and it reverted back again.

"Lucy, come here." Natsu said offering his hand to her. Lucy stepped to his right side and took his hand, interlocking their fingers. "Are you ready to do this?" He asked. Lucy shook her head, not wanting to put him through what he had gone through with Mirajane's mark. "Too bad, it's not too much of a price to pay. Vincent, let's do this." Natsu kept his hand interlocked with Lucy's and looked up into her eyes.

Vincent held his hand out to Lucy, pooling his magic in her hand. Lucy whispered her thanks, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Lucy drew confidence from Natsu's eyes and their bond, questioning how he could be so calm at a time like this. The hand that held the pooled magic landed on the underside of his forearm. The reaction was immediate, pain radiating through the bond into Lucy's mind.

Natsu had been able to prepare himself this time, tensing his muscles to prevent himself from shaking, his breath halting in his lungs. "I'm sorry." Lucy said quietly, squeezing his hand to show her sincerity. Natsu managed to smile through the ordeal, shaking his head as if to say it was alright. A bright glow erupted from under Lucy's hand so bright that none of them could look directly at it.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the light faded and Natsu shook himself physically and mentally. Lucy took her hand away from his arm and turned it so they could all get a look at it. Golden stars littered along the expanse of his forearm, glowing brightly under Lucy's gentle touch. "Does it still hurt?" Lucy asked hesitantly.

Natsu smiled and kissed the back of her hand that was still intertwined with his own. "Nothing I can't handle Luce. Besides, we have something else that we have to focus on." Taking his hand away from hers, Natsu stood up and stretched his arms over his head, wincing briefly as his arms fell back down to his sides.

Wendy grabbed him with one hand behind his neck, the other placed over the center of his chest. Her hands glowing a soft green and he felt the familiar taste of her magic flood through him, his pain lightening up slightly. He waited until she was finished, drawing her into his arms in a hug. "How have you held in this much? It's not just from today, there feels like…"

Natsu squeezed her tightly, shaking his head. "It's nothing I haven't dealt with in the past. You can't heal this part of me Wendy, this hole will be here for a time and it will go away when I can get over it."

Wendy fisted her hands in his hair and pulled back, forcing his head down to look at her. "You need to explain this. It isn't something you should be able to hide. I felt your pain through our bond, why haven't I felt this before?"

Natsu shook his head again and took her hands out of his hair. "It's always been there, that's why. Come on, I promise I will explain later. For now we need to go." He smiled down at her and cast the other two women a similar smile, his heart swelling when he met their eyes in turn. "We have a competition to win." Stepping away from his mates, Natsu reached a hand out to Vincent and shook his hand, thanking him for all of his help. "I suggest you don't try this on anyone else unless you know they can take it. It hurts like hell."

Vincent nodded woodenly, letting out a long breath. "Just let me get pictures of these then I'll let you be on your way." Grabbing a small lacrima camera, Vincent took a few pictures of both images. Natsu handed the man a large sum of money in payment, gesturing for everyone with him that it was time to head out. Happy landed on his shoulder just as he was leaving, draping the forgotten vest over Natsu's shoulder who in turn pulled it over his head, covering the image on his chest slightly.

* * *

"I want you to lead us Lucy." Natsu said suddenly, turning towards the blonde. "I feel like you have a better chance to lead us into whatever challenges we cross. You already coordinate your spirits together to fight and we can see how strong you have become with them." He gestured to the other three teammates around him. "Think of us as tools to help you with your will."

Lucy shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. "No, I couldn't do that. We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you Natsu, you brought all five of us together. I'm not as strong as any of you, well… I'm stronger than Happy." She said with a small smile, pulling the pouting Exceed into her arms. "But you three are much better suited for leading us, not me."

"I'm sorry, but I have to side with Natsu here. You aren't weak Lucy; you just don't have the same talents that we have. You have an exceedingly high magical ability; you just have a different way of using it. You see more than most of us do, you process battles faster. You know exactly how to use your spirits' abilities in the best way possible for each situation." Wendy said folding her hands together in her lap. Mirajane smiled and nodded her head in agreement. The white haired mage moved closer to the blonde and slipped an arm around her waist to pull them together.

"It's settled then!" Natsu cheered pushing away from the table. "I'll go sign us up now that this has been taken care of." He smiled brightly and pushed his way through the guild up to the table where Makarov sat, taking down the names of the teams.

Wendy moved closer to the two women once she was sure Natsu was far enough away. "I'm worried about him, in all seriousness. When I tried to heal him earlier, there was something in there that I couldn't touch. It was something going on in his mind, but it is causing him physical pain. I can't feel it through our bond though."

Happy pushed his way out of Lucy's arms. "It probably has to do with what happened when he was gone. Natsu has always been like that, whenever he saw something that he didn't like, he took it upon himself to change it. It ate away at him when he couldn't do anything about it. He will find a way to make everything better, he always has."

"You're right." Mirajane interjected. "If it was something serious, Natsu wouldn't just keep it from us. We have to trust him here; it won't do any good to question him when we all need to work together. If he doesn't say anything soon, we can always force it out of him. He can't stop all of us if we put our minds to it." She smiled and leaned against the table with her forearms. "What do you suppose Master has in store for us?"

"Well we know there will be at least one fight, but I don't think it will stop there… Over the past few years, the games have started to become less about physical ability and the ability to work together as a team, making you think about what traps there were. We have to be prepared for anything." Wendy suggested staring down at her hands.

Natsu slapped his hands down on the table, announcing his sudden return. "No time for discussion, we were the last group to sign up. Things start now, the first challenge is a race to the arena just outside town. Now come on, Master wants a word with everyone before we go."

Makarov stood up on the table he had previously been at, folding his arms over his chest. "We have four promising groups this year, three more than we have had in the past four years. Like I said yesterday, only two teams will progress from here. The other two teams will be made into reserves for the two winning teams. We will have four challenges overall. The first challenge is a race to the arena just outside Magnolia. The first team there will get four points, second three points and so on and so forth. I don't care by what means you get there so long as you do not destroy the town on your way. Oh, and Natsu… I forbid you to use your black fire. Think of it as a penalty for being gone for so long." He added with a smirk. "The team that comes in last will have a special punishment for each challenge. I hope to see you all at the arena soon. Go!"

Natsu frowned as they all started to run out the front door of the building. It wasn't like Makarov to purposefully prevent someone from fighting to the best of their ability. It worried Natsu about what he had planned for the competition. The Dragon Slayer was brought out of his own thoughts when Lucy started to explain her strategy. "I don't care what Master said, Natsu I want you to use your flames to get Wendy to the arena as fast as you can. When you get there, you need to prevent anyone from entering until we arrive. Mirajane, Happy, and I will follow as fast as we can."

Offering Wendy his hand, Natsu pulled her off with him down an alley, disappearing from the view of the other teams. Lucy felt his power surge for a brief moment before seeing him blur down a following road before completely disappearing from view. She could barely keep up with his movements, relying on her bond with him to feel where the two had gone. "Happy, pick me up. We need as much speed as we can get, and if we fly over the buildings, we can cut down our time. Mirajane, you know what you need to do."

Mirajane nodded knowingly. "**Take Over: Satan Soul!**" She called out, darkness enveloping her briefly before she appeared in her usual attire, black wings snapping out of her back as she took to the air. Happy grabbed the back of Lucy's shirt and lifted her into the air, tucking his head down to prevent any more wind drag than they already had acquired. Wind screamed in their ears the closer they got until the site of a battle took place at the edge of town, still a distance away from the arena.

* * *

**As always, R & R please!**

**I know it was a weird place to leave off, but I'll make sure the next chapters are much better.**


End file.
